Adam Sevada claimed his first North American Darts Championship on Friday evening at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. The American number one was far too strong for Canadian Tour Card holder Jim Long, winning 6-1 to take the top prize of $10,000 and secure his spot at the World Darts Championship and the Grand Slam of Darts later this year.
The 40-year-old American impressed throughout the tournament, dropping only four legs on his way to the title. He recorded convincing wins over Alex Spellman, Gary Mawson, and Jim Long before the US Darts Masters main event. His campaign started in spectacular fashion against compatriot Alex Spellman, averaging 102.48—the second-highest average ever at the North American Darts Championship—in a dominant 6-0 victory where Spellman failed to get a leg on the board.
In the semi-finals, Sevada faced former UK Open finalist Gary Mawson. The 63-year-old Englishman, who represents Canada, offered more resistance and battled back well, but Sevada kept his cool and came through 6-3 to book his place in the final. There he met top seed Jim Long, who had also impressed earlier in the day. Sevada started the decider excellently, holding throw in fourteen darts and then doubling his lead with a fine 92 checkout on two darts. Long pulled one back with a neat 98 checkout to make it 2-1, but Sevada produced a decisive burst by winning three legs on the spin to move out to a comfortable 5-1 lead. Although some nerves crept into his game in the closing stages, Sevada finished on double 2 to crown a superb tournament with the biggest title of his career.
With this triumph, Sevada takes another significant step in his development, showing in New York that he is currently the strongest player in North America. His commanding display earned him not only the prestigious title but also two coveted tickets for the PDC’s biggest televised events: the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
