There were doubts heading into the US Darts Masters about James Wade due to his recent time away from the oche due to illness but these were dispelled as the World Series of Darts returned.
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Wade produced a truly flawless display to see off Jeff Smith 6-2 and reached the Quarter-Finals in New York. He produced 6/6 on the doubles and capped it off with a 124 checkout on the bull as he downed the tricky Canadian.
To begin the tie, Smith didn’t get a shot at 100 and Wade used his last dart at the double in a 64 to go 1-0 up. The ‘Wading’ continued with a 116 checkout for a break from ‘The Machine’ to go 2-0 up.
Smith missed double 20 for a superb 135 and Wade punished again with a 76 checkout. Smith hit back with a 115 checkout to make it 3-1.
A crucial 180 left 62 and he went 4-1 up. He went one away with a 62 checkout as he continued a flawless doubling display despite one of his points sticking in the board before going for the finish. This concluded with a 124 checkout on the bull.
Compared to Michael Smith who came into the tournament in some of his best form in a while winning a Premier League night and European Tour.
But he struggled at times against the impressive debutant Doug Boehm who will have seen his odds drastically reduce for the North American Championship tomorrow after pushing 'Bully Boy' in a tie which the two-time World finalist won 6-3.
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Smith surged into a 4-1 lead as he looked to ease past the qualifier but Boehm aimed to cause him problems only to miss four darts to go 4-3 down and ‘Bully Boy’ took a 5-2 lead.
He missed 170 for the match but couldn’t seal the deal and Boehm made it 5-3 to prolong the tie. Needing a 180 to leave a finish, he left 157 but couldn’t get a shot at 5-4 and Smith finally sealed it with a 76 checkout.
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.
SMITH SEALS IT! 🏴
A fantastic start to the 2022 @bet365 US Darts Masters as Michael Smith defeats Doug Boehm 6-3 in an absolute thriller to kickstart the event with a bang!
Up next 👉 James Wade v Jeff Smith
Watch LIVE 👉 bit.ly/PDCTVLive
SMITH SEALS IT! 🏴
A fantastic start to the 2022 @bet365 US Darts Masters as Michael Smith defeats Doug Boehm 6-3 in an absolute thriller to kickstart the event with a bang!
Up next 👉 James Wade v Jeff Smith
Watch LIVE 👉 bit.ly/PDCTVLive