Australian number one Damon Heta has been beaten 8-2 by world champion Luke Humphries in the final of the New Zealand Darts Masters in Hamilton on Saturday.
Heta, 37, got off to a flying start winning the first leg, before the Englishman grabbed five straight legs for a commanding 5-1 lead, PDC TV reports.
The seventh leg saw Heta pull one back, but Humphries, 29, showed his class to close out the final three legs and take the match.
Humphries pockets the £20,000 ($42,764) top prize as tournament winner.
Watch the final between Damon Heta and Luke Humphries. Video / PDC TV / YouTube
Heta was disappointed afterwards.
“This feels like another learning curve for myself, but fair play to Luke,” he told PDC TV.
“I just didn’t flow like I can so I’m a little bit disappointed, but that just makes me more hungry for the next one, and I’ll be ready for it.”
New Zealand number one Haupai Puha (Ngāti Porou) was beaten 5-4 in a “last-leg thriller” by 2023 defending champion Rob Cross on Friday.
“Haupai played brilliantly on his own throw. He was clinical,” Cross told PDC TV.
The Englishman lost 5-4 to Heta in the quarterfinal.