Luke Humphries and Luke Littler will make their World Series of Darts debuts Down Under on Friday, as the pair prepare to take centre stage at the 2024 Australian Darts Masters.
The opening leg of the PDC’s World Series of Darts Oceanic double-header will take place at Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre on August 9-10, with 16 players competing for £60,000 in prize money and the sixth World Series title of 2024.
World number one Humphries and teenage superstar Littler will headline this year’s field, which also includes Australian number one Damon Heta and Rob Cross – a winner in Wollongong 12 months ago.
Humphries – fresh from winning July’s World Matchplay – has dominated the sport over the last nine months, lifting six televised titles, including his landmark World Championship triumph in January.
However, the 29-year-old is still eyeing a maiden World Series of Darts crown, with semi-final showings at the US Darts Masters and the Nordic Darts Masters representing his best performances on the World Series stage so far.
“A World Series title is something that’s not on my CV, so of course I want to win,” insisted the World Champion, who faces Australia’s Joe Comito for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I would love to win Down Under. That would mean a lot to me, so I’m really focused this weekend.
“You’ve got two superstars of the sport [Humphries & Littler] playing in Australia for the first time, and I’m very privileged to be here.
“I just want to keep playing my game and winning trophies, and hopefully my best game does come out.
“I know if I’m on my game, it will take a top performance to beat me.”
Premier League champion Littler will also make his highly anticipated debut in Australia with an opening round assignment against the experienced Rob Modra.
Littler has already lifted multiple World Series titles in 2024, following up his remarkable debut victory in Bahrain by storming to Poland Darts Masters glory in July.
“I’m really happy to be here in Australia,” claimed Littler, the number one seed this weekend.
“This a new experience for me, just like everything else has been this year.
“I’ve got to back myself to win almost everything, although you probably can’t do that with the quality of players nowadays.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing on the World Series this year, and I would love to go to Australia and win at least one title!”
Two-time World Champion Peter Wright will renew his rivalry with Australian stalwart Simon Whitlock in one of Friday’s stand-out first round ties, and Wright is in buoyant mood ahead of their latest showdown.
The Scot tasted World Series glory Down Under at the Melbourne Darts Masters in 2018, and he’s confident of replicating that success in this year’s Oceanic double-header.
“I definitely feel my A-game will return. I feel like it’s coming,” declared Wright, who has endured a difficult start to the year.
“I haven’t been practising too much. I’m throwing for about five minutes a day, but I’m hitting everything I’m going for, and I’m enjoying it again.
“It would be nice to win both events [Down Under], and I think I can win both.
“I thought I was going to win the World Matchplay, so my mindset is there; I’ve just got to do it on the dart board!”
Elsewhere, Cross will kick off his bid for back-to-back titles in Wollongong against New Zealand’s number one Haupai Puha, as he aims to continue his magnificent form on the World Series circuit.
Cross celebrated victory in June’s US Darts Masters, and was also a runner-up in Copenhagen and Poland, where he lost out to Gerwyn Price and Littler respectively.
2021 World Champion Price opens his Australian Darts Masters campaign against Brenton Lloyd, while world number two Michael Smith plays big stage debutant Stuart Coburn for a place in the last eight.
Heta – a runner-up in Wollongong in 2023 – marks his return to home soil with a clash against New Zealand’s John Hurring, while UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh locks horns with DPA Order of Merit leader Jeremy Fagg.
Friday’s first round gets underway at 1900 local time (1000 BST), before the decisive quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are held on Saturday August 10.
The Australian Darts Masters will be broadcast live on Fox Sports in Australia, through DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and on PDCTV in all other global territories.
UK fans can also watch live on PDCTV and ITVX, with delayed coverage on ITV4 beginning from 1900 BST on Friday, and from 1700 BST on Saturday.
2024 Australian Darts Masters
August 9-10, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Draw Bracket
(1) Luke Littler v Rob Modra
Michael Smith v Stuart Coburn
(4) Luke Humphries v Joe Comito
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jeremy Fagg
(2) Rob Cross v Haupai Puha
Peter Wright v Simon Whitlock
(3) Gerwyn Price v Brenton Lloyd
Damon Heta v John Hurring
Friday August 9 (1900 local time)
First Round
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jeremy Fagg
Gerwyn Price v Brenton Lloyd
Michael Smith v Stuart Coburn
Luke Humphries v Joe Comito
Luke Littler v Rob Modra
Peter Wright v Simon Whitlock
Damon Heta v John Hurring
Rob Cross v Haupai Puha
Saturday August 10 (1900 local time)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Format
First Round – Best of 11 legs
Quarter-Finals – Best of 11 legs
Semi-Finals – Best of 13 legs
Final – Best of 15 legs
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
