Luke Humphries produced a dominant display to dispatch Damon Heta 8-2 and clinch his maiden World Series of Darts title in Saturday’s New Zealand Darts Masters final.
Humphries has been the sport’s dominant figure over the last 12 months, although success on the World Series stage had proven elusive.
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However, the world No 1 broke new ground in Hamilton, defeating Michael Smith, Luke Littler and Heta on Saturday at Globox Arena to pocket the £20,000 (NZ$40,000) top prize.
Heta drew first blood in the showpiece, although Humphries soon seized control, winning five straight legs to establish a 5-1 cushion, featuring a crucial 122 checkout on the bull in leg four.
The Australian No 1 halted Humphries’ charge with a 13-darter in leg seven, only for the world champion to reel off the next three legs without reply to prevail with a 102.21 average.
“I’ve been searching for a World Series title, and I felt one was coming,” said Humphries, who landed five 180s in the final.
“My performances on the World Series over the last two years haven’t been at the standard I wanted, and I still wasn’t at my best today, but I was good enough.
“I feel so lucky and privileged to be here. The crowds over the last few days have been fantastic, and me and my Dad have really enjoyed our time here."
Humphries ran out a convincing 6-3 winner against Kayden Milne in Friday’s first round, before overcoming world No 2 Smith and top seed Littler to progress to a maiden World Series final.
The 29-year-old defied a 101 average from Smith to win through a high-quality quarterfinal clash, winning the last two legs in 13 and 12 darts to wrap up a 6-4 success.
Humphries then launched an astonishing fightback from 6-2 down to stun Littler in the semifinals, surviving two match darts to triumph in a repeat of January’s World Championship decider.
Heta – a Brisbane Darts Masters champion in 2019 – kicked off his campaign with a crushing 6-1 victory over his World Cup partner Simon Whitlock on Friday, converting six of his eight attempts at double to triumph.
The 37-year-old produced another magnificent performance on the outer ring to dump out reigning champion Rob Cross in a decider in the last eight, before running out a 7-4 winner against a resurgent Peter Wright in the semifinals.
Nevertheless, Heta was unable to make any inroads against a relentless Humphries, who reaffirmed his credentials to secure the year’s seventh and final World Series of Darts event.
“This feels like another learning curve for myself, but fair play to Luke,” reflected Heta, who missed just eight darts at double across his first three matches.
"I just didn’t flow like I can so I’m a little bit disappointed, but that just makes me more hungry for the next one, and I’ll be ready for it.”
Heta was a quarterfinalist at last weekend’s Australian Darts Masters, and following his exploits in Hamilton, he was awarded the Kyle Anderson Memorial Trophy – created to remember the late Australian.
Earlier in the evening, Wright made it back-to-back semifinals in this year’s Oceanic double-header with victory over last weekend’s winner Gerwyn Price, averaging 103 and missing double 12 for a nine-darter.
Littler, meanwhile, sealed his spot in the semifinals with a 6-4 success against Dimitri Van den Bergh in Saturday’s opener, defying a blistering mid-match spell from the Belgian to also progress with a 103 average.
Despite his semifinal exit, Littler will be the top seed at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, as the sport's biggest names battle it out for silverware in the Dutch capital from September 13-15.
NZ DARTS MASTERS RESULTS
SATURDAY
Quarterfinals
Luke Littler 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh Luke Humphries 6-4 Michael Smith Peter Wright 6-4 Gerwyn Price Damon Heta 6-5 Rob Cross
Semifinals
Luke Humphries 7-6 Luke Littler
Damon Heta 7-4 Peter Wright
Final
Luke Humphries 8-2 Damon Heta