Darts results: Michael van Gerwen loses to Simon Whitlock in New South Wales Darts Masters

The opening night of the £60,000 tournament saw home favourite Whitlock steal the show, edging out van Gerwen to become the solitary Oceanic representative to triumph in Wollongong.

Australia’s World Cup hero Whitlock, who defeated James Wade in Townsville last week, claimed another major scalp on home soil to celebrate a fifth consecutive victory over van Gerwen.

The pair traded six consecutive breaks of throw in a remarkable passage of play, with Whitlock surviving a match dart in the penultimate leg as he converted a nerveless 88 finish to level at five apiece.

The 53-year-old, roared on by a capacity crowd at the WIN Entertainment Centre, delivered the goods in the decider, completing a 74 finish on double eight to defeat last week’s Queensland Darts Masters champion.

"That was super good. To beat Michael five times in a row is sensational," said Whitlock, who defied a 101 average from the Dutchman to book a meeting with Joe Cullen in the last eight.

"I was saying to myself: ‘You’re playing the best again now, so you have got to perform.’ I had a little bit of luck, but I will take it. That was a hard-earned win, and it was all about belief."

Smith stuns Heta

Michael Smith produced one of the performances of the night to oust Australian number one Damon Heta in a thrilling last-leg shootout.

Smith fired in six 180s and averaged 106.33 to inflict a second consecutive 6-5 defeat on Whitlock's World Cup partner Heta, who also succumbed to Gerwyn Price in a deciding-leg clash in Townsville.

Despite Smith outscoring Heta for large periods, the first ten legs all went with throw, but the pressure finally paid dividends as Smith crashed in a 12-darter in the decider to seal his spot in Saturday's quarter-finals.

Price, a runner-up in Queensland, stormed through to Saturday’s final stages with a whitewash win over Koha Kokiri, to set up an intriguing showdown against Fallon Sherrock.

The world number one enjoyed a stunning four-leg spell following a subdued start, rattling in three 180s and firing in a brace of 11-dart legs to triumph with a 104.86 average.

"I was really slow out of the blocks in the first two legs," reflected Price, seeded fourth this weekend. "I need to get out of those blocks a little bit quicker, but I'm playing well and my mind is in a good place."

Sherrock next for Price

The Welshman will now take on Women’s World Matchplay champion Sherrock, after the 27-year-old edged out World Series debutant Mal Cuming to secure her first victory in Australia.

Sherrock struggled in the early exchanges, but a brilliant 12-darter in leg five sparked a run of three straight legs, and she kept her cool in the decider to prevail with a 16-dart hold.

James Wade also secured his first victory in this year’s roadshow Down Under with an impressive comeback victory over Gordon Mathers, a semi-finalist in Queensland last weekend.

The ten-time TV title winner trailed 3-2 following a stuttering start, only to reel off four consecutive legs in 15, 15, 12 and 15 darts, sealing his progression with a clinical 116 combination.

Wade will now play top seed Dimitri Van den Bergh in the quarter-finals, after the Belgian overcame a late wobble to defeat Australian qualifier Raymond O’Donnell 6-3 in the evening’s finale.

Earlier in the night, Jonny Clayton eased past former World Cup quarter-finalist Haupai Puha to avenge his defeat against the New Zealander last week.

The reigning World Series of Darts Finals champion fired in back-to-back 13-darters midway through the tie, winning five straight legs to clinch an emphatic 6-1 success.

Elsewhere, Cullen defeated Dave Marland for the second straight week to confirm his place at Finals Day in Wollongong.

Cullen, who averaged 108.65 to whitewash Marland seven days ago, defied a spirited fightback from the Australian veteran to complete a battling 6-3 win.

New South Wales Darts Masters: Schedule and results

Friday August 19
First Round (Best of 11 legs)
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1000 BST)

• Joe Cullen 6-3 Dave Marland
• James Wade 6-3 Gordon Mathers
• Jonny Clayton 6-1 Haupai Puha
• Fallon Sherrock 6-5 Mal Cuming
• Gerwyn Price 6-0 Koha Kokiri
• Michael Smith 6-5 Damon Heta
• Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Simon Whitlock
• Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-3 Raymond O’Donnell

Saturday August 20
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1000 BST)

Quarter-finals

• Dimitri Van den Bergh v James Wade
• Gerwyn Price v Fallon Sherrock
• Simon Whitlock v Joe Cullen
• Michael Smith v Jonny Clayton

Semi-finals

• Two Matches

Final

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

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