Damon Heta beat Stephen Bunting – who had earlier hit a nine-darter towards Rob Cross – in an exhilarating last-leg decider to win Gamers Championship 20 in Leicester.
However a first-round exit for Michael Smith has left the previous world champion’s hopes of qualifying for the Betfred World Matchplay on July 19-27 in severe jeopardy heading into Wednesday’s second day of the ProTour double-header on the Mattioli Enviornment.
World No 9 Heta, although, is already assured a spot in Blackpool and warmed up for the Winter Gardens by claiming his second Gamers Championship occasion win of the yr, beating Bunting 8-7 in an exhilarating closing.
With momentum swinging dramatically backwards and forwards between the finalists, Bunting raced right into a 2-0 lead just for Heta to win the following six legs and transfer inside two extra of the title at 6-2 forward.
However Bunting was not accomplished and fought again to win 5 of the following six, taking the ultimate to a decider at 7-7 the place Heta finally took out 65 with a double-18 end.
Bunting hit the right nine-dart leg in what in itself was a similarly-gripping semi-final towards Cross, by which he got here from behind to win 7-6. That made amends for lacking double 12 after eight excellent darts in his first-round victory towards Richard Veenstra.
Australia’s Heta beat Gerwyn Value 7-5 in his semi-final, having earlier demolished Daryl Gurney 6-1 within the final eight.
On a high-quality day of darts, the primary spherical did produce two nine-darters – Josh Rock towards Sebastian Bialecki and Leon Weber towards Tytus Kanik.
Smith faces semi-final quest to succeed in Blackpool
However there have been no such first-round highlights for Smith, the 2023 world champion.
‘Bully Boy’ misplaced 6-4 to Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts and now should attain a minimum of the semi-finals on Wednesday in Gamers Championship 21 if he’s to e-book place on the Winter Gardens, the place he was runner-up to Cross in 2019 and appeared yearly since 2014.
This week’s double-header in Leicester is essential to find out the ultimate qualifying spots on the World Matchplay when it begins subsequent week, dwell on Sky Sports activities.
The highest 16 gamers from the PDC Order of Advantage might be seeded on the Winter Gardens, the place they be joined by the next-best 16 qualifiers based mostly on the 12-month ProTour Order of Advantage.
Smith, who spoke overtly in January about affected by arthritis in his proper hand, his throwing hand, is at the moment ranked twenty first on this planet and began the day £4,250 exterior the extra 16 ProTour qualifying locations on supply.
2025 Gamers Championship 20 outcomes
Final 16
Gerwyn Value 6-5 Dom Taylor
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Damon Heta 6-3 Madars Razma
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Chris Dobey
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Danny Noppert
Ross Smith 6-4 Owen Bates
Rob Cross 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Josh Rock 6-3 Keane Barry
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Value 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Damon Heta 6-1 Daryl Gurney
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Ross Smith
Rob Cross 6-5 Josh Rock
Semi-Finals
Damon Heta 7-5 Gerwyn Value
Stephen Bunting 7-6 Rob Cross
Last
Damon Heta 8-7 Stephen Bunting
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