Tim Pusey enjoyed an excellent warm-up ahead of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League finals night, claiming Saturday's fifth night in Newcastle with a 5-3 victory over Simon Whitlock in the final. It was Pusey's second nightly win of the season and secured him second place in the standings. The pair will meet again next weekend in Brisbane, where the overall title will be decided.
Pusey had already won a night in Melbourne two weeks ago and once again showed he is among the competition's strongest players. His victory also earned him the A$1,000 nightly prize. The Australian opened the night with a convincing 5-2 win over Ben Robb, who could not give himself a birthday present to remember. Pusey then impressed against Brody Klinge in the semi-finals, winning 5-2 with superb finishes of 158 and 130. It was one of Pusey's best performances in the ANZ Premier League so far, and he carried that form into the final to beat Whitlock 5-3.
After the match, Pusey looked ahead to his next meeting with Whitlock with a wink. "It's always good to get a cheeky win, but he's done so much for darts," Pusey said. "It's just good to play him, because he was playing him before my time and all that, but it's good to play him again." He added: "Let's hope he plays like he does tonight next week, hey? But I believe I am playing him next week, so a cheeky little rematch." Still, he knows Whitlock will not be easy to beat again: "Hopefully I've got the wood over him, but you can't count it out till the fat lady sings."
Before the fifth night, Raymond Smith had already secured top spot in the standings, while Joe Comito was the only player with no chance of reaching finals night. The other six competitors were fighting for the remaining three places. Whitlock had plenty at stake. 'The Wizard' began the night outside the top four but made a major move up the standings with a convincing 5-0 win over Mal Cuming. He moved above his opponent and knocked Cuming out of contention for a place in the finals at the same time. Klinge also saw his hopes fade. He beat Jonny Tata in the quarter-finals but then had to concede defeat to Pusey. Smith, meanwhile, escaped a surprise defeat to Comito. The league leader survived five match darts before winning three legs in a row. Comito therefore ended his campaign without winning a single match. Whitlock then beat Smith 5-2 in the semi-finals before losing to Pusey in the final.
Finals night takes place next weekend at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Raymond Smith, Tim Pusey, Jonny Tata and Simon Whitlock are the four players still in contention for the title. Notably, these are the same four semi-finalists as last season. Whitlock won the tournament then, beating Smith in the final. The semi-final line-up is now confirmed. Smith will face Tata, while Pusey and Whitlock meet again. That latter match looks particularly intriguing, with Pusey taking a timely boost in confidence from his Newcastle victory.
ANZ Premier League standings
