English darts veteran James Wade secured his first-ever World Series of Darts crown by defeating local contender Brody Klinge in the final of the Australian Masters. The 43-year-old triumphed 8-5 in Wollongong, New South Wales, marking his initial victory in this tournament series after making his debut in the competition thirteen years ago in Dubai.

The championship match proved to be a tense affair as Wade attempted to withstand a fierce rally from his opponent. Wade initially built a commanding 6-2 advantage by claiming four consecutive legs, but the 34-year-old Australian qualifier fought back brilliantly to narrow the deficit to 6-5.

Wade ultimately steadied his performance to close out the contest, reaching the brink of victory at 7-5 before sealing the match with a 60 checkout. The experienced Englishman had to contend with a passionate local crowd that heavily favored the home-nation underdog throughout the evening.

Klinge enjoyed an exceptional run to the final, becoming just the second qualifier in history to reach a World Series title match. The Australian Darts Association top-ranked player opened his campaign by eliminating the European champion Ross Smith, before securing further victories against Gian van Veen and Jonny Clayton en route to the final showdown.

Wade maintained a high standard of play during the decisive match, finishing with a match average of 101.62. To reach the final stage, the world number six had to navigate difficult previous rounds, including a tight deciding-leg win over Stephen Bunting and a subsequent victory against Gerwyn Price.

This tournament served as the final regular-season stop of the World Series circuit before the upcoming Finals scheduled to take place from September 17 to 20 in Amsterdam. Wade's latest victory adds a World Series trophy to a resume that already includes ten Professional Darts Corporation major titles, with his previous major triumph coming at the UK Open in 2021.

Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.