Raymond Smith and Adam Leek turned the opening night of the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters into a genuine warning for the favourites. The PDC has confirmed that the two Australians will meet in Saturday’s quarter-finals after two wins that changed the expected shape of the draw in Auckland.
Leek had already set the tone by beating Ross Smith 6-5, having trailed 4-1 and survived six match darts according to DartsNews. The official update now gives the evening another layer: Raymond Smith beat Stephen Bunting 6-2, averaging 99.81, hitting 86% of his doubles and closing the match with a 124 checkout on the bull.
Raymond Smith adds the result that changes everything
This was not just an outsider scraping through a deciding leg. Raymond Smith beat the third seed with real authority, in a short format where one poor spell can decide the match. His finishing almost tells the story by itself: 92, 90, then 124 on the bull to seal a win that immediately matters in the tournament.
Smith’s comments to the PDC also say something about the regional stakes. He noted that he had not played on a PDC stage for eight years, then connected this performance to the work being done in the ADA, DPNZ and ANZ Premier League. Put another way: the result has not come from nowhere, and it lands at a moment when the PDC is trying to give the Oceanian scene greater weight.
Leek proves the local invitees are not just making up the numbers
Leek’s case remains just as interesting. On his World Series debut, the Australian absorbed the worst of the match, then won five of the last six legs against Ross Smith. On a night like this, there is no room for error: Ross Smith had the match in his hands, but Leek stayed alive long enough to take it back.
The result becomes even clearer through the quarter-final draw. Raymond Smith vs Adam Leek is not just a surprise fixture. It guarantees an Australian player in the semi-finals of the New Zealand Darts Masters, in an event where the strongest positions initially looked reserved for the PDC headline names.
The favourites go through, but Auckland already feels different
The rest of the evening was more predictable in places. Gerwyn Price beat Mark Cleaver 6-1 with 67% on the doubles, James Wade whitewashed Kayden Milne 6-0, Josh Rock edged Simon Whitlock 6-4, and Gian van Veen made a clean start against Jonny Tata. But the night is no longer just a story of the established order holding firm.
Jonny Clayton had to come from behind to beat Haupai Puha 6-5, while Damon Heta finished strongly against Ben Robb, including 11 and 12-dart legs before a 105 checkout. This is where the tournament starts to bite: Saturday’s quarter-finals now bring together favourites under pressure and local players who already have belief.
| First round | Result |
|---|---|
| Gerwyn Price vs Mark Cleaver | 6-1 |
| Adam Leek vs Ross Smith | 6-5 |
| James Wade vs Kayden Milne | 6-0 |
| Josh Rock vs Simon Whitlock | 6-4 |
| Gian van Veen vs Jonny Tata | 6-1 |
| Jonny Clayton vs Haupai Puha | 6-5 |
| Damon Heta vs Ben Robb | 6-4 |
| Raymond Smith vs Stephen Bunting | 6-2 |
The quarter-final schedule
The tournament concludes on Saturday at the Spark Arena, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all played in one session. The PDC lists the quarter-finals as best of 11 legs, followed by best of 13 semi-finals and a best of 15 final.
| Quarter-final | Fixture |
|---|---|
| QF 1 | Gian van Veen vs Jonny Clayton |
| QF 2 | James Wade vs Josh Rock |
| QF 3 | Gerwyn Price vs Damon Heta |
| QF 4 | Raymond Smith vs Adam Leek |
We had already set the scene in our article on the draw and schedule for the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters. With these results, the angle now shifts to a simple question: will the favourites take back control, or has Auckland already become a trap tournament?
