Sydney Darts Masters
Following the success of the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters back in May the top players from the PDC circuit headed off to Sydney, for the second World Series Event, The Sydney Darts Masters over the weekend of August 29th-31st. The most notable absentee from the event was James Wade who was serving a four event ban handed to him by the DRA (Darts Regulatory Authority). This meant that Paul Nicholson joined the remainder of the World’s top eight players as they took on eight qualifiers from Oceania in the prestigious event that was held at Luna Park.
First Round
Phil Taylor got his campaign down under off to the best possible start as he overcame DPA Number 1 Kyle Anderson 6-1. The match had been billed as the tie of the round, but when it came down to it Taylor had more than enough for the Aussie and it took him no time at all to steamroller Anderson and move on to the quarter finals. “All the players were a bit nervous tonight because we all didn’t quite know what to expect, so I’m really pleased to be through,” said Taylor. “I got a lovely reception from the crowd and we both had some great support.” “I think the nerves may have got to Kyle a little bit because I know he can play a lot better than that, but he’ll learn and come back stronger.” Simon Whitlock, the sports number one Australian player, was on a trip back home and he no doubt enjoyed the support of the crowd as he too produced a fine display, landing no less than five 180s on his way to a 6-0 whitewash victory over qualifier Jamie Mathers. “Everything about tonight was wonderful,” said Whitlock. “The crowd was brilliant and darts in Australia is finally on TV, and this is a big step forward for us.” “We’ve got some great players here and Jamie will be better for this experience, and he played well - but I’m delighted with
Photo: Andrew Fawcett/PDC