English world number one Beau Greaves took out the women’s final in an 8-5 victory over 2019 finalist Mikuru Suzuki, while Australian number one Raymond Smith took out the men’s title in a thrilling leg-for-leg battle against New Zealand’s Haupai Puha.
Smith ran out a 10-9 victor in the best of 19 legs clash, bringing a close to the first Australian Darts Open in Moama for three years.
Greaves’ path to the final included a clean sweep of her group before facing up against New Zealand’s Nicole Regnaud in the semi-final, running away with that clash 6-3.
The 18-year-old was then on target from start to finish in the final, adding another accolade to an already impressive resume’.
For Smith, his journey saw him overcome countryman Peter Machin 6-2 in the quarter-finals to book a date with 2022 World Darts Federation champion Neil Duff of Northern Ireland.
Duff took the first two legs in the semi-final but Smith recovered to run away with an eventual 8-6 win, progressing to the final against Puha, who accounted for South Australia’s Scott Hallett.
Puha took the first leg of the final, but Smith had the early ascendancy with a 4-2 lead.
From that point, both players went leg-for-leg until Smith eventually saluted in the final leg of the tournament, sparking raucous scenes in the crowd.
In a fixturing quirk, Smith was earlier drawn to face his son Ky in the first group stage, walking away with a win.
The 2022 edition of the Australian Darts Open marks the return of the event after COVID-19 forced cancellations in 2020 and 2021.
The open attracts some of the best darts talents around the world in a treat for local fanatics, and an increase in the prize purse to $80,000 as a result of the event’s elevation to platinum-rated status ensured a high quality of play.
The "festival of darts“ continued on Sunday, August 7, with the Pacific Masters at Rich River Golf Club, before the Australian Championships get under way from August 8-13.