James Wade is through to the Quarter-Finals at the World
Series of Darts Finals after seeing off Jeff Smith in a 6-3 victory.
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Wade was impressive and produced not only his high standard
of finishing but also four 180’s en route as he looks to regain the title he
won two years ago.
Smith produced a superb start to proceedings hitting a 123
checkout for the opening leg against Wade but ‘The Machine’ soon broke back
with consecutive 180’s being followed by double five for 1-1.
‘The Silencer’ though produced some excellent finishing once
more with a 111 checkout seeing it at 2-2. At the break though, they sat at 3-2
with Smith missing 20 for a dart at the bull and Wade went ahead.
This advantage gave him the impetus after the break with a
102 checkout seeing him extend his lead and he went one away at 5-2. Smith kept
his hopes alive at 5-3 with a hold but Wade came through in the end to see off
the Canadian 6-3.
Nathan Aspinall is also through to the Quarter-Finals after
a similarly impressive victory over Darius Labanauskas with Gerwyn Price or
Vincent van der Voort next up for ‘The Asp’.
He hit a 101 average, three 180’s and 60% on the doubles to
lay out an early marker as the seeded players entry the fray in Salzburg.
He raced out the blocks superbly including claiming an early
break of throw with a 142 checkout as well as an 11-darter as he went into a
4-1 lead.
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A third 180 and double 12 saw him go one away at 5-1
breaking the throw once more and with Labanauskas well back, he pinned 100 to
claim victory.
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.
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