NEW YORK – Canadian veteran Jim (The Gentleman) Long has scored a major upset at the 2023 bet365 U.S. Darts Masters, defeating world champion Michael (Bully Boy) Smith.
Long won the first-round matchup 6-2 Friday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, surviving five 180s from the top-seeded world No. 1 from England to advance to the quarterfinals. The 55-year-old from London, Ont., landed three 180s and converted 97 and 115 checkouts to earn a date with 2017 champion Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands in the final eight.
“I’m still taking it in. Michael is the cream of the crop. I’m ecstatic,” said Long, a former World Cup of Darts quarterfinalist. “This is the biggest win of my career by far. I was so nervous. I had so many friends here tonight so it’s a very special moment for me.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-PDC-Ed Mulholland
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“It’s an honour to play these guys. As North American dart players, it’s a real blessing to have the opportunity to play the best players in the world.”
Fellow Canadian Jeff (The Silencer) Smith also progressed, ousting third-seeded Peter (Snakebite) Wright of Scotland 6-2.
“I’ve had a lot of good games with Peter over the last few years,” said the 47-year-old from Hampton, N.B.
“Peter was not at his best there and you just have to roll with the punches and take your chances, and I managed to do that,” he added.
Wright is ranked second in the world by the PDC compared to No. 68 for Jeff Smith.
Van Gerwen defeated Canadian Jake Macmillan 6-2 in other first-round action. England’s Nathan Aspinall, the 2019 champion, needed to stave off a rally by Matt Campbell to defeat the Canadian No. 1.
Hamilton’s Campbell fought back from 4-2 down to level the match at 4-4, only to see Aspinall win legs in 11 and 14 darts to win 6-4.
“Matt Campbell is the player that nobody really wanted to play,” said Aspinall, who now faces Jeff Smith.
The field at the two-day event features 16 players contesting 60,000 pounds ($100,280) in prize money and the third World Series title of 2023.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2023
