Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton got here thru jittery last-leg shootouts whilst Luke Littler complex regardless of being a long way from his perfect because the 8 elite PDC avid gamers all improved to the quarter-finals of the Nordic Darts Masters.
World No 1 Humphries – enjoying his first event since successful his maiden Premier League identify just a little over every week in the past – pipped Latvia’s Madars Razma 6-5, firing in a most after which a match-clinching checkout of 125 within the deciding leg in Copenhagen.
Razma had fought again from 5-2 down amid 4 ignored event darts from Humphries, who will face protecting champion Gerwyn Price within the final 8 on Saturday night after the Iceman noticed off Norway’s Cor Dekker 6-3 in the second one event of the night time.
Clayton – who registered a roof-raising 170 end – had a good nervier time than Humphries, surviving two ignored event darts from Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas and squandering 4 of his personal, prior to he pinned D5 to ebook a last-eight date with best seed Stephen Bunting, a 6-3 winner over Oskar Lukasiak.
Littler progresses after slow get started
The final 16 pitted 8 family PDC names in opposition to an octet of Nordic and Baltic stars, with reigning international champion Littler the firmest of favourites as he battled Sweden’s Viktor Tingstrom.
However, The Nuke was once sluggish to get going, averaging within the 70s around the opening two legs, prior to an upturn in shape integrated a 12-dart spoil within the 7th leg and noticed him in the end be triumphant 6-3.
Still, paltry visits of 30 and 9 contributed to Littler averaging handiest 90.19 and he’s going to almost certainly wish to strengthen in his quarter-final in opposition to Nathan Aspinall, who whitewashed Danish crowd favorite Benjamin Reus 6-0.
Aspinall – the winner of the European Darts Open in Germany final week – was once closely booed by way of the house lovers however installed a stellar show of completing, together with one checkout of 138 after which any other of 92 after finishing with successive D18s.
Reus ignored all 5 of his makes an attempt at a double and is but to win a leg within the historical past of this event, having now been swept in all 4 of his fits.
The final quarter-final will pit Chris Dobey in opposition to Rob Cross, with the previous beating Jeffrey de Graaf 6-2 and the latter seeing off Andreas Harrysson 6-4 within the opening around.
Harrysson, who picked up notable wins over former international champions Raymond van Barneveld and Michael Smith in Leverkusen final week, gave Cross a stiff check, prior to Voltage sealed victory by way of hitting back-to-back D18s.
Nordic Darts Masters – round-one effects
- Chris Dobey 6-2 Jeffrey de Graaf
- Gerwyn Price 6-3 Cor Dekker
- Rob Cross 6-4 Andreas Harrysson
- Luke Humphries 6-5 Madars Razma
- Nathan Aspinall 6-0 Benjamin Reus
- Luke Littler 6-3 Viktor Tingstrom
- Stephen Bunting 6-3 Oskar Lukasiak
- Jonny Clayton 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Remaining Nordic Darts Masters agenda
Quarter-finals (from 6pm, Saturday)
- Stephen Bunting vs Jonny Clayton
- Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall
- Rob Cross vs Chris Dobey
- Gerwyn Price vs Luke Humphries
Semi-finals and last to apply
Watch the World Cup of Darts on Sky Sports
The World Cup of Darts, from June 12-15 in Frankfurt, is live to tell the tale Sky Sports as Humphries and Littler glance to retain the identify for England, after Humphries and Michael Smith triumphed final yr.
The World Matchplay in Blackpool is then live to tell the tale Sky Sports from July 19-27, with Humphries out to protect his crown after beating Michael van Gerwen 18-15 within the 2024 last on the Winter Gardens.
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