Something about Madison Square Garden seems to bring the best out of Jeff Smith. After his North American Championship win and run to the final of the US Darts Masters last year, the Canadian has started the 2024 edition with a shock win over Michael Smith.
“I absolutely love New York. This city has pretty much adopted me,” reflected the former Lakeside finalist post-match. Versus 'BullyBoy' it was Smith's ruthless finishing the proved to be the key factor as six out of nice darts at a double were successful, en route to a comprehensive 6-1 victory over the 2022 US Darts Masters winner.
As mentioned, twelve months ago Jeff Smith made it all the way to the final in Madison Square Garden before eventually losing out to Michael van Gerwen in the final. If 'The Silencer' is to emulate that feat or even go one better this time around, he first has to get past the man of the moment in the world of darts, the recently crowned Premier League Darts champion, Luke Littler in the quarter-finals.
“I’m Jeff Smith, I’m not worried about Luke Littler. He’s a generational talent, there’s no doubt about that, but I just have to worry about what I do," Smith assesses, showing his experience. Having lost his PDC Tour Card at the end of 2023, Smith also has some extra incentive to perform against the sport's new golden boy. “I’m here with a point to prove, and that’s it. Me reaching the final wasn’t a fluke last year, and I want to come back and compete again.”
For his part, Littler was again incredibly impressive in his first round tie. The 17-year-old wiped the floor with Smith's Canadian compatriot, Matt Campbell by a whitewash scoreline of 6-0, averaging over 100 in the process and sending a warning to the rest of the field on his US debut.
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