DANNY RETURNS FOR UK OPEN DEFENSE

2022 saw Dutch international Danny Noppert become a PDC major televised champion for the first time in his darting career, beating Michael Smith 11-10 in the Cazoo UK Open Final to pick up the trophy and £100,000.

The Freeze will defend the ranking money he earnt last year in the upcoming 2023 tournament that starts on Friday from Butlins Minehead Resort.

Noppert beat Australian Number 1 Damon Heta and William O’Connor to reach his first UK Open Final, whilst averaging 99.05 in dispatching compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-2 in the Last 16.

Recent Baltic Sea Darts Open Quarter Finalist Steve Beaton continues his perfect record of appearing at every UK Open event since 2003, with the Bronzed Adonis entering the festival of darts at the Third-Round stage in Somerset.

The 58-year-old reached the Semi Finals back in 2004 where he beat the likes of Peter Evison and Kevin Painter on route to the Final 4 at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton.

Beaton is on the hunt to make it beyond the Third Round for the first time since 2020 and will face the winner off Connor Scutt and Jimmy Hendriks, in what will be the penultimate match on Stage 2 in Friday’s opening session.

World Cup of Darts winner Simon Whitlock will take to the oche in Round 3 of the UK Open, facing either Ross Montgomery, Andy Jenkins, or Adam Warner in the last match on the main stage.

The Wizard reached the Quarter Finals two years ago in Somerset, clinching last leg deciders against Darius Labanauskas and Brendan Dolan to reach the Last 8 in 2021. The Australian also achieved the same finish in 2017, as he prepares for his 14^th consecutive UK Open campaign.

20-year-old Jurjen van der Velde will make his second consecutive appearance at the UK Open, having made his debut in Minehead twelve months ago.

The young Dutchman claimed two Challenge Tour titles in 2022 which inevitably saw him earn his tour card with a fifth placed finish on the order of merit, and players within the Top 64 underperforming at the recent World Darts Championship.

Van der Velde will enter in the First Round at Butlins Minehead Resort, taking to Stage 3 on Friday as he faces Brett Claydon with the winner taking on Ronny Huybrechts in Round 2.

Former Lakeside World Champion Scott Waites prepares for his fifth UK Open campaign this week in Minehead, with Scotty 2 Hotty advancing beyond the Third Round in every tournament he’s played.

The 46-year-old’s best finish in the festival of darts is the Last 32, an achievement the Englishman has done in his last two campaigns in Somerset.

Waites enters the competition at the Second-Round stage in 2023 and will face the winner of Gian van Veen and Robert Owen who play earlier in Friday’s afternoon session.

German international Florian Hempel will take to his second UK Open campaign this weekend, starting at the Third-Round stage.

The Dessau thrower beat compatriot Lukas Wenig 6-3 on his debut in Minehead last year in the Third Round and will hope for similar fortunes in 2023.

The 32-year-old will face Players Championship 1 Runner Up Jamie Hughes on Stage 2, with the winner going through to the Fourth Round draw which will take place once Friday’s afternoon session has commenced.

Challenge Tour leader Thibault Tricole will make his debut in the upcoming UK Open, with the Lakeside finalist making a strong start to the year after he won Challenge Tour Event 5 earlier in the year.

Tricole will face James Richardson in the second tungsten tussle on Stage 2, with the winner going through to take on former BDO World Champion Richie Burnett in the Second Round on the main stage.

Reigning champion Danny Noppert, Michael van Gerwen, Joe Cullen and Daryl Gurney will all feature in the Fourth Round, with the action set to start from 11am live on ITV 4 with every match now available live for the first time in the tournament’s history.

By Harry Masterson

 

Cazoo UK Open 2023: Order of Play

 

Stage 1:

Luke Littler v Nick Fullwell (R1)

Jelle Klaasen v Josh Payne (R1)

Danny Jansen v Bradley Brooks (R2)

Connor Scutt v Jimmy Hendriks (R2)

James Richardson/ Tricole v Richie Burnett (R2)

Keegan Brown v Girvan/ Zonneveld (R2)

Adrian Lewis v Joe Murnan (R3)

Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse (R3)

Montgomery/ Jenkins/ Warner v Simon Whitlock (R3)

 

Stage 2:

Gian van Veen v Robert Owen (R1)

James Richardson v Thibault Tricole (R1)

Lukas Wenig v Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)

Sebastian Bialecki v Joshua Richardson (R1)

Jules van Dongen v Kevin Doets (R2)

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Littler/ Fullwell (R2)

Matt Campbell v Van Trijp/ Holt (R2)

Labre/ Klose v Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)

Florian Hempel v Jamie Hughes (R3)

Boris Krcmar v Jermaine Wattimena (R3)

Steve Beaton v Scutt/ Hendriks (R3)

Scott Williams v Klaasen/ Payne/ Pietreczko (R3)

 

Stage 3:

Jurjen van der Velde v Brett Claydon (R1)

Geert Nentjes v Christian Kist (R1)

Arron Monk v Vladimir Andersen (R1)

Dan Read v Callum Loose (R1)

Jose Justicia v Micky Mansell (R2)

Cameron Menzies v Moston/ Neyens (R2)

Ted Evetts v McEwan/ Lauby (R2)

L Gurney/ Pilgrim v Burton/ Smith-Neale (R2)

William O’Connor v Devon Peterson (R3)

Lewy Williams v Jansen/ Brooks (R3)

Van Dongen/ Doets v Szaganski/ Kciuk (R3)

Labre/ Klose/ Vandenbogaerde v Adam Gawlas (R3)

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/ Littler/ Fullwell v Ritchie Edhouse

 

Stage 4:

Conor Heneghan v Daniel Lee (R1)

Graham Hall v Jeffrey Sparidaans (R1)

Jacques Labre v Daniel Klose (R1)

Karel Sedlacek v Harry Lane (R1)

Luc Peters v James Wilson (R2)

Damian Mol v Davey/ L Evans (R2)

Read/ Loose v Brian Raman (R2)

Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson v White/ Roelofs (R2)

Ryan Joyce v Mike de Decker (R3)

Menzies/ Moston/ Neyens v Ian White (R3)

Jim Williams v Van Veen/ Owen/ Waites (R3)

Slevin/ Kuivenhoven/ Wilkinson v Monk/ Andersen/ Goffin/ Knops (R3)

 

Stage 5:

Andy Jenkins v Adam Warner (R1)

Noel Grant v Graham Usher (R1)

Nathan Girvan v Niels Zonneveld (R1)

Michael Flynn v Jonathan Wynn (R1)

Richard Veenstra v Jamie Clark (R2)

Taylor/ Webster v Tony Martinez (R2)

Heneghan/ Lee v Rupprecht/ Kenny (R2)

Hall/ Sparidaans v Thomas Banks (R2)

Martijn Kleermaker v Steve Lennon (R3)

Martin Lukeman v Read/ Loose/ Raman (R3)

Madars Razma v Cole/ Van der Wal/ Killington (R3)

James Richardson/ Tricole/ Burnett v Van der Velde/ Claydon/ R Huybrechts (R3)

 

Stage 6:

Callum Goffin v Robbie Knops (R1)

Pascal Rupprecht v Nick Kenny (R1)

Jarred Cole v Jitse van der Wal (R1)

Jim McEwan v Danny Lauby (R1)

Kevin Burness v Nathan Rafferty (R2)

Grant/ Usher v John O’Shea (R2)

Wenig/ De Zwaan v Nentjes/ Kist (R2)

Klaasen/ Payne v Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)

Mensur Suljovic v Justicia/ Mansell (R3)

Keane Barry v Mol/ Davey/ L Evans (R3)

Jeff Smith v Campbell/ Van Trijp/ Holt (R3)

Flynn/ Wynn/ Sedlacek/ Lane v L Gurney/ Pilgrim/ Burton/ Smith-Neale

 

Stage 7:

Jim Moston v Kenny Neyens (R1)

Dylan Slevin v Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)

Gary Davey v Lee Evans (R1)

Danny Van Trijp v Christopher Holt (R1)

Radek Szaganski v Krzysztof Kciuk (R2)

Van Veen/ Owen v Scott Waites (R2)

Van der Velde/ Claydon v Ronny Huybrechts (R2)

Flynn/ Wynn v Sedlacek/ Lane (R2)

Ryan Meikle v Burness/ Rafferty (R3)

Andrew Gilding v Taylor/ Webster/ Martinez (R3)

Brown/ Girvan/ Zonneveld v Darius Labanauskas (R3)

Evetts/ McEwan/ Lauby v Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson/ S White/ Roelofs (R3)

 

Stage 8:

Dom Taylor v Darren Webster (R1)

Lewis Gurney v Darryl Pilgrim (R1)

Stuart White v Owen Roelofs (R1)

Stephen Burton v Adam Smith-Neale (R1)

Ross Montgomery v Jenkins/ Warner (R2)

Slevin/ Kuivenhoven v Shaun Wilkinson (R2)

Cole/ Van der Wal v George Killington (R2)

Monk/ Andersen v Goffin/ Knops (R2)

Veenstra/ Clark v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)

Ricky Evans v Grant/ Usher/ O’Shea (R3)

Wenig/ De Zwaan/ Nentjes/ Kist v Peters/ Wilson (R3)

Hall/ Sparidaans / Banks v Heneghan/ Lee/ Rupprecht/ Kenny (R3)

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