HETA ADMITS “INSANE” WIN OVER MVG

DAMON HETA admitted it was “insane” after he inflicted Michael van Gerwen’s worst Grand Slam show for a decade.

The red-hot Aussie pounced on a below par MVG to take a 10-7 victory in Wolverhampton.

It meant it was the first time Van Gerwen had failed to reach the quarters since 2013. 

Heta said: “Look Michael didn’t turn up, let’s face facts. I just looked and I had 26 trebleness visits. Oh man, sorry you had to watch that. 

“But my percentage of checkouts were great and that’s what wins games. 

“It was insane. I didn’t go back stage after the break. I stayed up here to get my head right. I won that second session because I knew what I had to do. 

“I had a goal set and things just happened for me and I was just riding the wave. Whether Michael is at his best or his worst, you’ve got to take it. 

STEPHEN BUNTING admitted he struggled to stay cool to beat ‘The Freeze’ Danny Noppert. 

But the ex-Lakeside World Champ hit seven 180s in a 10-4 victory and will now meet shock merchant American Stowe Buntz in the last eight.

He said: “That’s what it was about today, just get over the line. Danny struggled and it made myself more nervous.

“I kept going off stage to re-group. But I stayed so nervous for some reason. I now can’t wait to get back now for the quarter-finals. 

“I felt brilliant in the practice room, everything was going in. But for some reason up here it wasn’t happening. Maybe it was just the pressure to get through to the quarter-finals. 

“Stowe next and he’s a fantastic player. The first time I played him I didn’t know what to expect. Now I do, he had a 102 average and beat me.

“I’ve got my work cut out, I will re-group. We go again.”

STOWE BUNTZ admitted he now has to do his LAUNDRY after becoming the first American to reach a the quarters of the Slam. 

The Virginia ace KO’d UK Open Champ Andrew Gilding 10-5 to book his place in the last eight.

Buntz, 44, has previously never been to the UK or even played in a major TV tournament but also became the first US star to reach the last eight in a PDC event for 15 years. 

He said: “I wasn’t expecting to be here this long and only brought four shirts with me. 

“Now I have to find somewhere to get them washed. It’s a good problem I guess. 

“It’s great to be the first American to get this far in the Slam. That makes me nervous, very nervous. I’ll figure out the proud part later. 

“He gave me opportunities all match and I capitalised. I’m lucky, very lucky. 

“I can try and get on the PDC tour in 10 years when I get my kids out of the house. We’ll figure that out in a couple of years from now. I’ve got a lot of college education to pay for.”

Buntz made a dream start against a low-key Gilding by taking the opening two legs with ease and an early break of throw. 

Gilding soon had squandered SEVEN darts at doubles and suddenly the American was leading 5-0 at the first break, pinning double eight and with a checkout rate of 55 per cent. 

Finally Gilding got off the mark with double four but yet again the checkout woes returned and Buntz made it 6-1. 

Then Gilding looked a bit more lively with a 110 kill but was trailing 7-3 at the second break and never looked back. 

Images by Taylor Lanning.