Puha dumps out Clayton in career best win, Mathers eases past Sherrock as Queensland Darts Masters continues

Two local qualifiers are into the Quarter-Finals of the Queensland Darts Masters as the opening session continues with victories for Haupai Puha and Gordon 'GG' Mathers.

Jonny Clayton faced a tough test in Puha who is of course a former PDC and WDF World Championship participant and World Cup star and it proved to be just that with a shock 6-2 win seeing a 95.6 average and 55% on the doubles en route for 'Hopes'.

Puha started superbly including an 11-darter as he raced into a 2-0 lead averaging 115 in the process before breaking throw to go 3-0 up.

Clayton hit a 180 to leave 82 to attempt to break back but didn’t even get a shot at double handing Puha a chance to hold in a 107 checkout but in the one treble combo, he couldn’t get a shot.

Only for Clayton to miss three more darts to break and Puha went 4-0 up. ‘Hopes’ continued to breathe down the neck of ‘The Ferret’ but Clayton added a first leg of the tie at 4-1.

Puha missed 106 to go one away and hold throw and Clayton was handed a break at 4-2 down. He missed chances to consolidate though and Puha picked his pocket to go one away at 5-2. 

Puha missed double 18 for a 110 checkout to win it but returned to seal it with Clayton not getting a shot at 160.

While Fallon Sherrock lost once more in the World Series to Mathers who is a PDC Tour Card Holder and has spent the past two year playing on the ProTour with a varying degree of results but in this case it was a 6-3 win.

The only flourish for Sherrock, the newly crowned Women's World Matchplay champion being a 160 checkout midway through the contest as she heads onto to the next stop on the Oceanic Tour.

Mathers took the opening leg on throw on double six. He doubled his lead with a last dart double 20 for a break and 2-0. He pinned double 19 to hold from there and go half way to the finishing line.

He hit a 180 but missed chances to break and was royally punished with Sherrock getting off the mark with a 160 checkout. Mathers though hit double 12 to go two away.

Sherrock pinned double two to cut the deficit to two albeit just a hold. She missed 120 to break followed by three at double 10 and Mathers hit double 14 to hold and go 5-2 up.

Sherrock busted on double four and couldn’t pin it second round allowing Mathers match darts but he missed two allowing the Milton Keynes ace to hit double two and prolong the tie with a hold.

More match darts went begging for Mathers but Sherrock was way back and he finally got over the line from there.