Rob Grundy “over the moon” with victory at Nissan Darts Masters
It was a night Rob ‘The Grenade’ Grundy will not forget for a long time.
The Hartlepool darts player was crowned the 2023 Nissan Darts Masters Champion on Saturday night, with some huge scalps along the way.
In his first game of the night, he whitewashed former UK Open and current World Seniors Champion Robert Thornton 3-0, with a terrific scoring display.
The crowd was vocal in support of Grundy all night, as the atmosphere at the Nissan Sports and Leisure Centre was electric.
It was also a special night for Grundy for another reason, telling SportsByte: “It’s the first time I’ve played in front of my mother and family, to do it in front of all them, I’m ecstatic.
“I could hear her shouting every time I turned around, I’m absolutely over the moon.”
He then produced a sensational performance in the semi-final, beating the current Masters champion and world number 17 Chris Dobey 3-2, with Dobey exclusively telling SportsByte: “Rob Grundy was quality. I had a 105 average and still lost.”
He faced former World Cup winner John Henderson in the final, and produced another stunning display, winning 3-1.
Speaking about his victory, Grundy said: “Brilliant, over the moon. Who would have thought someone like me after a year of playing darts competitively can come here and beat the likes of Dobey, Hendo on a big stage.”
Of playing Dobey in the semi-final, he added: “I’ve played Dobey in the Pro Tour and he beat me then but I thought I was a bit unlucky – it was just that he was hitting the right things at the right time. Today it was my turn. I’m glad I’m on the winning side.”
He beat the Highlander John Henderson in the final, with Henderson telling SportsByte: “I played a really good Rob Grundy tonight and he was fantastic. He’s a great guy, and he deserves everything that comes to him.
“I hope he gets his tour card because he deserves to be on the tour.”
Grundy is hoping that this title is just the start for him: “I want to be professional, and why not? I’m into the second phase [of Q school] because I came in the top 16 last year. If I can keep up my consistency, I’ve got a chance.”
