Luke Littler and Luke Humphries progress as Jim Long stuns Josh Rock at US Darts Masters

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries remain firmly in the hunt for US Darts Masters glory after both secured quarter-final spots in New York, although Josh Rock was the biggest casualty on the opening night after suffering a shock defeat to Jim Long.

World No 1 Littler was pushed all the way by Canadian qualifier David Cameron before eventually finding a way through, setting up a last-eight meeting with Long, who produced one of the standout results of the opening round.

The teenager did not have things all his own way in the early stages, struggling to find his usual rhythm as Cameron moved into a 4-3 lead. But Littler responded when it mattered, rediscovering his scoring power and reeling off the final three legs to claim a 6-4 victory, helped by five maximums.

Long, meanwhile, produced another memorable Madison Square Garden moment by knocking out Rock in a repeat of his reputation as a giant-killer on the World Series stage.

The Canadian veteran, who famously defeated former world champion Michael Smith at the same event in 2023, took advantage of missed opportunities from Rock to secure a 6-4 win.

Rock battled back from a slow start to level the contest at 3-3, but Long held his nerve in the closing stages, winning three of the next four legs to complete a huge upset.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win on this stage. I’m over the moon,” Long said after reaching the quarter-finals.

“I’ve played Josh three times on the tour so we’re familiar with each other, and I was fortunate he missed a couple of doubles at the end there.

“I just want to play every game I can play and perform at my best with every chance I get.”

Humphries also began his title defence in impressive fashion, producing a dominant display against Leonard Gates as he started his bid for back-to-back US Darts Masters crowns with a 6-1 victory.

The reigning champion controlled the contest from the start and showed why he has been one of the most consistent players in darts over recent months.

“This is a really prestigious event and one of the best venues in the world,” said the world No 2.

“My brother told me in the last eight events I’ve played in – including the Premier League – I’ve made eight finals on the trot, so that’s given me a lot of confidence.

“I’ve been a really tough player to beat in the last few weeks, and it’s nice to have that winning feeling back.”

Humphries will now face Stephen Bunting in the quarter-finals after the former Masters champion defeated Alex Spellman 6-2 to pick up his first win at the iconic New York venue.

Gian van Veen also made an impressive start to his debut US Darts Masters campaign, cruising past Fred Krueger 6-1 to book a quarter-final clash with Jonny Clayton.

Clayton produced a clinical performance of his own, averaging almost 99 and maintaining a perfect record on doubles during a 6-2 win over Gary Mawson.

Elsewhere, Gerwyn Price and James Wade both battled through competitive openers to secure their places in the last eight.

Price, the 2024 runner-up, overcame Canadian youngster Brayden Hall 6-4, while Wade marked his return to World Series action with a 6-3 victory over American No 1 Adam Sevada.

The US Darts Masters concludes on Friday night, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all taking place in front of a record crowd of 5,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.

Thursday’s results:

Gian van Veen 6-1 Fred Krueger
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Brayden Hall
James Wade 6-3 Adam Sevada
Jim Long 6-4 Josh Rock
Luke Littler 6-4 David Cameron
Luke Humphries 6-1 Leonard Gates
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Gary Mawson
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Alex Spellman