Nordic Darts Masters round-up: Peter Wright heads home early

Catch up on all the action below:

Dimitri van den Bergh 6-3 Dennis Nilsson

Van den Bergh had an immediate chance to break from 167. He only missed the bullseye, but was allowed to come back for it and via double 8 he posted the break right away. But Nilsson also made himself heard and grabbed the break back. He threw 100 in two arrows via tops to make it 1-1. In the third leg, Nilsson almost threw another barrel-plus finish. He left 101 but missed double 16. Van den Bergh did not throw out 150 and so Nilsson threw double 16 after all and took the lead: 2-1. In the fourth leg came the first 180 of the match and it came to Nilsson's name. He then had three darts to take the break, but missed all chances. Van den Bergh took advantage and threw out 60: 2-2. In the fifth leg came the second 180 and this time it was Van den Bergh. Nilsson also threw 180, but Van den Bergh had the chance for the break from 114 and took it by throwing out 114: 3-2. Van den Bergh also threw 180 in the sixth leg and left 105. That too went out and so it was 4-2.

Van den Bergh maintains lead

In the seventh leg, Nilsson opened with a 180 and eventually reached 4-3 via tops. In the eighth leg, no less than three 180s were thrown, two of them for the Belgian. He made it 5-3 by hitting double 6. Van den Bergh threw 180 again in the ninth leg, leaving 96 to win the match. That didn't go out, but he was lucky that Nilsson missed tops. Double 18 then did hit and so the Belgian won 6-3.

Nathan Aspinall 6-2 Marko Kantele

The first two legs went with the darts. Aspinall doubled 16 and Kantele in turn hit 55 from tops to make it 1-1. Aspinall did get off to a good start as he came up with an average of well over 100 in the first legs. Aspinall moved into the lead as 74 went out: 2-1. The break was inevitable and it also came in the fourth leg. 25 went out via double 8 to make it 3-1. Aspinall was under pressure with 105 left, as Kantele left 55. Aspinall threw it out beautifully via single bull and twice tops: 4-1.

Aspinall wins easily

The Finn still stayed in the match as 72 went out to make it 4-2 after all. Kantele threw the first 180 in the seventh leg and had a chance for the break. But he missed tops and so Aspinall was able to make it 5-2 and succeeded via double 16. He eventually won the match by throwing out 75 in two darts: 6-2.

Gerwyn Price 6-2 Madars Razma

Price really popped out of the starting blocks with 180 and 140 and left 81 after nine darts. It eventually went out in 14 darts. That made it easily 1-0. Razma was nowhere to be seen and Price made it 2-0 via double 6. In the third leg too, Price was neatly out in five innings. He threw out 100 to make it 3-0. Price was pitching just above 100, while Razma threw 73 average. Razma got on the board after four legs, as 52 went out via double 16. In the fifth leg, Price also threw out 100, this time via double 10, making it 4-1 and the match went quickly. Price missed the chance for 5-1, and so it became 4-2 via double 18. Price also had no problems on his own turn in the seventh leg and made it 5-2 via double 12. Price won the match by throwing out 60 to make it 6-2.

Stephen Bunting 6-5 Daniel Larsson

Bunting had to get going in the first leg as he was not out after seven innings. Larsson took advantage and made it 1-0 via double 10. He missed a chance from 64 to cash in on the break, making it 1-1. Bunting also went out via double 10: 1-1. The Swede did have every chance to take the break again, but missed it. Bunting hit double 7 to take the lead for the first time. The match did not get going at all with averages below 80. Bunting did manage to grab the break in the third leg via double 4 to make it 3-1.

Through the eye of the needle

Larsson got an arrow to the break on 160, but missed tops. Bunting had 120 left, but did not get an arrow on the double. And so Larsson still threw out the leg. The fourth break in five legs: 3-2. And the fifth break followed as Bunting made it 4-2 via double 4. Bunting did hold his own in the seventh leg and also threw the first 100-plus finish. 110 went out via double 16. He threw the first 180 in the eighth leg, but was not yet allowed to throw for the match, as Larsson threw out 100. Bunting missed a matchdart on 78 and Larsson took advantage and made it 5-4 via double 18. Bunting also missed two matchdarts in leg 10 and so it became 5-5 via double 18. Bunting threw 180 in the last leg and won by throwing out double 16: 6-5.

Peter Wright 5-6 Johan Engstrom

Wright almost grabbed the break in the first leg with a great finish, but 160 did not go out. Tops went wrong and Engstrom took advantage by throwing out 106 via double 16. The Swede also almost grabbed the break from 111, but threw double 5 instead of tops. Wright equalised as a result. It continued to go with the darts as Engstrom made it 2-1 via tops. Engstrom threw the first 180 in the fourth leg, but that did not help anything else. Because Wright threw out double 8 for the 2-2. Wright took the lead for the first time in the fifth leg with another double 8 and posted the break.

Wright gives away lead

The Scot continued to play well and also hit 56 in the sixth leg to make it 4-2. Engstrom had no trouble with Wright in the seventh leg and made it 4-3 via tops. But Wright just could not be broken, including in leg eight. He threw out 64 and got to match point. Engstrom did open with five perfect darts and threw his second 180 of the match. Engstrom stayed in the match, as tops made it 5-4. But Engstrom now managed to break by throwing out 80: 5-5. The Swede completed the comeback by hitting tops to win 6-5.

Michael Smith 6-1 Paavo Myller

Smith got off to a great start and was out in just 11 darts. Via two 140, 180 and finally 41 it was 1-0. In the second leg he also threw 180. Smith threw the second a little worse, but very well. In 12 darts, double 13 went out. Smith also opened with 180 in the third leg and was already up to three in total. In the third leg, the Englishman suddenly missed four darts on the double and Myller threw a leg via double 7 and with it the break: 2-1. He could not cash in on that break, as Smith made it 3-1 via tops. It also became 4-1, as Smith threw out 81 for the second time, this time via double 6. The Finn really wasn't throwing wrong at over 80 average, but Smith scored above 100 and was way too far away each time.

No problems for Smith

The Englishman also grabbed the break in the sixth leg. In two darts 56 went out and it became 5-1. Smith threw another 180 in the seventh leg and left 92. That didn't go out, but Myller was still far too far away. Smith won the match 6-1 by throwing out double 16.

Rob Cross 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf

Cross was neatly out within five innings in the first leg and made it 1-0 via double 4. Cross also opened with six perfect darts and left 144. He also hit the seventh dart, but it did not become a magic nine darter. He won the leg easily though and took the break. Cross didn't miss anything either, as he also threw in the 3-0 in two darts on 48. De Graaf simply couldn't do anything against it. Cross also opened with 180 in the fourth leg namely. De Graaf did get on the board, as he was out in his own leg in five innings. He threw out 77 via double 5 for 3-1. But Cross was unbreakable as he was out in 14 darts to make it 4-1. De Graaf threw his first 180 in the fifth leg and left 121. That went out and so De Graaf took another leg in 12 darts: 4-2.

Great match

Where Cross threw 112, it was also a good match from De Graaf with an average above 100. He even got two break darts on tops, but missed. Cross did throw double 18 and made it 5-2. But he was not out of the match, as the Dutch Swede was out after only 12 darts with a finish of 99: 5-3. Cross opened with 180 in the ninth leg and had two matchdarts via double 18 and 9, but missed. De Graaf held 121 and threw that out via triple 14 and grabbed the break. He was out again in four innings: 5-4. Cross missed a matchdart on double 16 and so De Graaf had another chance on 126, but he missed the bullseye. Cross then missed another three matchdarts and so De Graaf could make 5-5, but he too missed. Cross did throw double 8 and won 6-4.

Luke Humphries 6-0 Benjamin Drue-Reus

Humphries was obviously the favourite, but Reus was the crowd favourite as the only Dane. Humphries started the match right away with 180 and also a break. Via double 5, it became 1-0. Humphries almost threw out 132. Two bullseyes worked, but no double 16. Double 4 did and so the break was cashed in: 2-0. Reus had a chance to take a leg via 96, but he missed double 16. Humphries had 100 left and threw it out in two darts as if it was nothing: 3-0 and thus a double break. And that break was also cashed in. Via double 8 25 went out and it was 4-0. And it became 5-0 as well. 90 went out via double 5. And eventually it became a whitewash, as Humphries won 6-0 and threw another 180. He threw his winning dart into double 20.