Darts dad wins… now it’s over to son Ky

| December 18, 2021

Australian darts dad Ray Smith has hit his family’s first target at the world championships and will now resume fatherly duties to help his son Ky complete a dream weekend double.

risbane marksman Smith earned an excellent opening round victory at London’s Alexandra Palace on Saturday, beating Englishman Jamie Hughes three sets to one with the help of three 100-plus checkouts.

Though he could celebrate his first win at the championships in his second appearance at ‘the Palace of Darts’, the 42-year-old was more interested in making sure everything was ship-shape for his teenage son Ky’s debut in the event on Sunday.

The pair are the first father-son duo to compete together in the 29-year history of the championships and need a decent run to at least the third round to cover the sky-high costs of their “surreal” adventure to England.

So, understandably, Ray was “stoked” after his win, which he said was watched in the middle of the night back home in Queensland by his family.

“I’ve been helping Ky all week, so now I turn my attention to being dad,” he said after his opening success.

“So I’m on cooking and cleaning duties.

“We’ve got a massive contingent back home watching so I got all their messages this morning and was really pumped for this, really keen.”

Nineteen-year-old Ky, who quietly watched his dad in action among the famously raucous ‘Ally Pally’ crowd, will play Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven on Sunday, with the prospect of a second round tie with English star James Wade beckoning.

But his dad, who averaged just shy of 95 in his opening match while hitting an impressive 59 per cent of his doubles, is already plotting his own second round contest against South African Devon Petersen.

“I’m not going to say too much – but Devon doesn’t have too much form against Australians, so I’m pretty keen,” Smith said.

Meanwhile, an a major highlight of Saturday’s afternoon session, Lithuanian Darius Labanauskas hit the second perfect nine-dart finish in 24 hours at the championships.

After debutant William Borland had won the deciding leg of his first-round match against Bradley Brooks in nine darts on Friday, Labanauskas achieved the feat during his defeat to Belgian Mike De Decker with visits of 174 and 180 followed by a 147 check-out – treble 20, treble 17, double 18.