MILTON KEYNES, England — Canadian darts pro Jeff (The Silencer) Smith reached the semifinals of the PDC Summer Series on Friday, losing to eventual winner Michael van Gerwen.
Van Gerwen, the world No. 1, defeated Smith 7-4 before dispatching Jose De Sousa 8-3 in the final for the 10,000-pound ($17,085) winner's cheque.
Friday marked the third of five straight days of competition played behind closed doors at Marshall Arena. The 31-year-old Dutch star also won Wednesday's event.
Smith defeated Mike De Decker 6-1 in the round of 16 and Peter Wright 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
The 44-year-old from Hampton, N.B., won his way back onto the Professional Darts Corporation circuit in mid-January at the PDC Qualifying School in Wigan, England, after landing a 110 checkout in the deciding leg of his 5-4 playoff win over Japan's Seigo Asada.
In February, he made it to the final in his first event before losing 8-4 to former world champion Gary (Flying Scotsman) Anderson at the Players Championship One in Barnsley, England.
He left Europe in March in the wake of PDC tournament cancellations and warnings that Canadians needed to return home.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2020.
The Canadian Press
