Smith was knocked out by Canadian veteran, Jim Long who has previously played at the World Darts Championship and World Cup of Darts.
It was a career-best display as he defied five 180s from the World Number One to dispatch him 6-2. Stealing the show himself with three 180s and checkouts of 97 and 115, he will now face Michael van Gerwen in the last eight.
Another shock involving a Canadian was Wright's loss as Tour Card holder, Jeff Smith accounted for 'Snakebite' in a 6-2 defeat.
Wright sported an entire change of grip as well as a new set of darts and was punished to the hilt by Smith who took out 108 to move towards the brink before defying an 11-darter to move through.
For Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen though, it was much more smooth sailing.
Price averaged 105 to demolish Jules van Dongen 6-1 featuring two 12 darters and finishing it off with a superb 105 checkout using two double 20's.
While Van Gerwen saw off debutant Jake Macmillan who had a confident start against the Green Machine but in the end, it was a superb win for the recent Premier League champion.
ADVERTISEMENT
He concluded it with a 141 checkout and now will face Jim Long in the Quarter-Finals in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
LONG DUMPS OUT MICHAEL SMITH! 🤯
Jim Long has just caused one of the biggest upsets in World Series history with a remarkable win over World Champion Michael Smith!
📺 bit.ly/USMasters23Live | #USDarts R1