"This is the North American venue for darts right now": Jeff Smith lauds electric crowd after dumping out Wright in New York

Jeff Smith dumped out Peter Wright on the opening night of the US Darts Masters as the experienced Tour Card holder sealed a 6-2 win.

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.

"I've had some great games with Peter (Wright) over my whole career. I don't think I've ever gone past a 6-5 so I'll take that win, a grain of salt and I'm happy to carry on," said Smith to Online Darts.

"This is the North American venue for darts right now, the crowd is electric. The people are coming in and I think it's going to get bigger and better every year."

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It is a newer line-up this year with some unheralded talent but for Smith, it isn't anybody new.

"It's names you guys haven't seen before but it's names I've played through and through. It's just great seeing these new guys getting the opportunities and coming through. If that isn't a marker for the rest of the players out there to say I can do this than nothing is."

"What the CDC is doing for North American darts, it doesn't get much better. It's given a level playing field on the best of conditions that we don't get to do ordinarily time in time out. The sky is the limit and hopefully they continue on."

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