Boris Krcmar delivered a superb display to dump out Nathan Aspinall and set up a showdown against reigning champion Michael van Gerwen at the Superbet Poland Darts Masters in Gliwice.
Croatian number one Krcmar defied five 180s from Aspinall to win through a high-quality encounter at the PreZero Arena, averaging 97.79 to set up a clash against world number two Van Gerwen in Saturday's final stages.
“I feel great,” admitted Krcmar, who landed a stunning 127 finish on the bull on his way to a landmark victory.
“Nathan is one of the best players in the world. I played well tonight; I was a little bit nervous but I managed to win, so I’m very happy.
“I hope I can keep this form going, and I will give it my best tomorrow.”
Friday’s first round saw eight PDC superstars take on their East Europe rivals, with Krcmar the solitary regional qualifier to progress to the quarter-finals.
Van Gerwen began his defence of the title with an emphatic 6-1 win over a below-par Karel Sedlacek, pinning six of his 12 attempts at double to sweep aside the Czech star.
“It was a steady performance, but the most important thing is to win,” insisted the Dutchman, who is chasing a second World Series title of 2024.
“I think Karel is a really good player, but I think he’s better on the floor than on the stage, and I took advantage of that.
“This is going to be a huge weekend for darts in Poland and Eastern Europe, and there’s still a lot more to come from me tomorrow.”
Top seed Luke Littler survived a late scare to see off Adam Gawlas on his Poland Darts Masters debut, after the Czech star produced three consecutive 13-darters from 5-1 down to threaten an unlikely fightback.
“I started off well, but I struggled with the pace of the game,” conceded Littler, who averaged 96.97 and crashed in four maximums.
“There was always going to be a little bit of rust after my week away, but it was good to be back on stage in front of a great audience. It was like a Premier League night!”
World champion Luke Humphries began his bid for a maiden World Series crown with a routine 6-1 success against Hungarian debutant György Jehirszki, who won his solitary leg with an 11-darter.
“When György started coming back at me at the end, I got a bit more drive,” reflected the world number one.
“It wasn’t my best performance, but I know when I come back tomorrow I will be a stronger and better player.
“I would love to win a World Series title. It’s something that is not on my CV yet, but I’m sure it will happen one day!”
2024 Superbet Poland Darts Masters
Friday June 14
First round
- Rob Cross 6-1 Sebastian Bialecki
- Boris Krcmar 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
- Michael Smith 6-4 Radek Szaganski
- Peter Wright 6-0 Jacek Krupka
- Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Karel Sedlacek
- Luke Littler 6-4 Adam Gawlas
- Stephen Bunting 6-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
- Luke Humphries 6-1 György Jehirszki
Saturday June 15 (1900 local time)
Quarter-finals
- Luke Littler v Peter Wright
- Luke Humphries v Michael Smith
- Rob Cross v Stephen Bunting
- Michael van Gerwen v Boris Krcmar
Semi-finals
- Littler/Wright v Humphries/Smith
- Cross/Bunting v Van Gerwen/Krcmar
Final
- Littler/Wright/Humphries/Smith v Cross/Bunting/Van Gerwen/Krcmar
Fast Results
Scores
