PDC UK Open – Day One Round-Up

VAN GERWEN KO’S REIGNING CHAMPION IN LADBROKES UK OPEN THRILLER

Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey produced the performances of the day on a thrilling opening to the Ladbrokes UK Open at Butlin’s Minehead Resort on Friday.

The 159-player, multi-board tournament began with a bumper day of darts, with the opening four rounds seeing the field whittled down to 32 competitors who will return on Saturday afternoon to continue the battle for the £100,000 title.

Friday afternoon’s early rounds included first round defeats for female duo Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock – to Mike De Decker and Kyle McKinstry respectively – as well as Brisbane Darts Masters champion Damon Heta, against Scott Waites.

2012 UK Open champion Robert Thornton was a third round casualty, while former finalists Barrie Bates and Andy Hamilton lost out in round two.

The arrival of the world’s top 32 players in Friday evening’s fourth round saw the drama increase further as reigning champion Nathan Aspinall drew world number one Van Gerwen in a crunch clash.

A high-quality affair saw neither player able to open up more than a two-leg lead throughout, before two-time champion Van Gerwen eventually closed out a 10-8 success with a 105.5 average.

Van Gerwen will now play Jason Lowe in Saturday afternoon’s fifth round, after the Cradley Heath thrower – a Tour Card winner at Qualifying School in January – defeated Cody Harris, Jonathan Worsley and 2014 UK Open champion Adrian Lewis to reach the last 32.

Chris Dobey and Krzysztof Ratajski both averaged over 105 in an outstanding fourth round tie which saw the Bedlington ace come from 9-8 down to win 10-9, taking out a 91 bull finish in the deciding leg of a thriller.

World number three Gerwyn Price was another impressive performer as he averaged 104 in his dominant 10-3 defeat of Danny Noppert, and the Welshman will now play Ricky Evans after the Kettering ace overcame Joe Murnan 10-4.

2017 UK Open champion Peter Wright emerged victorious from another tight contest, averaging over 102 in his 10-8 win over Glen Durrant.

The World Champion now plays Ian White, who averaged almost 100 in a 10-6 win over emerging talent Harry Ward.

2018 UK Open winner Gary Anderson gained revenge for his loss to Steve Beaton in this event 12 months ago with a 10-7 victory as he progressed to a tie with Plymouth’s Simon Stevenson, who saw off both Kevin Doets and Darren Webster in a deciding leg.

Former World Champion Rob Cross, last year’s runner-up to Aspinall in Minehead, hit back from 6-5 down to win 10-7 against Dutch youngster Niels Zonneveld.

Cross will now face Michael Smith in another plum fifth round tie, with the world number five having overcome James Wilson 10-4.

Ireland’s Willie O’Connor fought off a strong fightback from Dave Chisnall to claim a narrow 10-8 win, with the Morecambe ace having begun the game wearing glasses, removed them at 5-0 down before hitting back from a seven-leg deficit to trail 8-7 at one stage.

Stephen Bunting survived three missed match darts from Vincent van der Voort as he progressed to a meeting with St Helens rival Alan Tabern, who won four games on Friday to reach the last 32.

Welsh student Lewis Williams and Essex decorator Rhys Hayden were the best-performing players from the 16 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers, as both won through to the last 64.

Williams saw off Robert Owen, Adrian Gray and Jose De Sousa before losing out 10-9 to Steve West, while Hayden saw off Jamie Clark, James Richardson and Toni Alcinas before his run was ended by Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Northern Ireland’s McKinstry followed up his win over Sherrock with defeats of Jason Heaver, Stephen Burton and Bradley Brooks as he moved through to the last 32.

He now plays Martin Schindler, who averaged over 102 in a superb performance against Justin Pipe in round four as the German moved into Saturday’s second day.

Two-time UK Open champion James Wade saw off Scotland’s John Henderson 10-5, and the left-hander now comes up against Kim Huybrechts after the Belgian ace saw off Robert Thornton and Ryan Searle on Friday.

Daryl Gurney, Jamie Hughes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Gabriel Clemens were other 10-9 winners in the fourth round, while Jonny Clayton ended the hopes of two-time Lakeside Champion Waites.

Max Hopp withdrew from the event on Friday morning due to glandular fever. As a result, Martin Atkins – who won three games in the afternoon session – received a Bye in the fourth round draw.

Saturday will see the afternoon session’s fifth round followed in the evening session by the sixth round, before Sunday sees the remaining eight players return to compete for the £100,000 title.

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2020 Ladbrokes UK Open

Friday March 6

Afternoon Session

First Round

Mike De Decker 6-2 Lisa Ashton

Scott Waites 6-4 Damon Heta

Kyle McKinstry 6-1 Fallon Sherrock

Cody Harris 6-5 Scott Taylor

Kai Fan Leung 6-3 Kelvin Self

Karel Sedlacek 6-0 Adam Hunt

Alan Tabern 6-2 Keane Barry

Andy Hamilton 6-3 Patrick Lynskey

Steffen Siepmann 6-4 Krzysztof Kciuk

Peter Jacques 6-4 Ciaran Teehan

Steve Brown 6-5 Michael Barnard

Daniel Larsson 6-5 Ryan Meikle

Jason Askew 6-4 Greg Ritchie

Jason Heaver 6-0 Jesus Noguera

Adam Smith-Neale 6-4 Ben Cheeseman

Nathan Rafferty 6-3 Darren Beveridge

Stephen Burton 6-1 Adam Huckvale

Rhys Hayden 6-5 James Clark

Bradley Brooks 6-5 Cameron Menzies

Harald Leitinger 6-1 Kevin Burness

Wesley Harms 6-3 Aaron Beeney

Danny van Trijp 6-4 Boris Koltsov

William Borland 6-2 Andrew Davidson

Lewis Williams 6-5 Robert Owen

Martin Atkins 6-5 Ryan Murray

Callan Rydz 6-5 Shane McGuirk

Wayne Jones 6-1 Gary Blades

Berry van Peer 6-3 Owen Roelofs

Justin Smith 6-3 Andy Jenkins

Derk Telnekes 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker

James Richardson 6-4 Darren Penhall

Kevin Doets 6-1 Alfie Thompson

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Second Round

Mark McGeeney 6-5 Scott Baker

John Michael 6-5 Jeff Smith

Kevin Doets 6-3 David Pallett

Kyle McKinstry 6-4 Jason Heaver

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-0 Marko Kantele

Scott Waites 6-1 Geert Nentjes

Mike De Decker 6-5 Daniel Larsson

Bradley Brooks 6-2 Nick Kenny

Harry Ward 6-5 Gavin Carlin

Kai Fan Leung 6-2 Kirk Shepherd

Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Barrie Bates

Rhys Hayden 6-4 James Richardson

Andy Boulton 6-2 Reece Robinson

Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 Nathan Derry

Wesley Harms 6-5 Justin Smith

Madars Razma 6-4 Derk Telnekes

Jonathan Worsley 6-4 Matt Clark

Steffen Siepmann 6-2 Carl Wilkinson

Ted Evetts 6-1 Berry van Peer

Alan Tabern 6-3 Steve Brown

Jason Lowe 6-1 Cody Harris

Martin Atkins 6-2 Christian Bunse

Nathan Rafferty 6-1 Mike van Duivenbode

Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Andy Hamilton

Jason Askew 6-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez

Yordi Meeuwisse 6-3 Peter Jacques

Lewis Williams 6-3 Adrian Gray

Joe Murnan 6-3 Harald Leitinger

Stephen Burton 6-4 Vincent van der Meer

Conan Whitehead 6-3 Wayne Jones

William Borland 6-0 Danny van Trijp

Callan Rydz 6-3 Adam Smith-Neale

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Third Round

Luke Humphries 6-5 Kyle Anderson

Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Robert Thornton

Josh Payne 6-4 Luke Woodhouse

Ryan Searle Darts 6-5 Cristo Reyes

William O’Connor 6-2 Jan Dekker

Vincent van der Voort 6-4 John Michael

William Borland 6-5 Mike De Decker

Richard North 6-4 Ron Meulenkamp

Steve West 6-2 Conan Whitehead

Bradley Brooks 6-4 Devon Petersen

Martin Atkins 6-5 Wesley Harms

Jamie Lewis 6-5 Ross Smith

James Wilson 6-4 Ted Evetts

Alan Tabern 6-4 Steve Lennon

Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Mickey Mansell

Justin Pipe 6-3 Kai Fan Leung

Ryan Joyce 6-2 Yordi Meeuwisse

Lewis Williams 6-4 Jose De Sousa

Jamie Hughes 6-2 Nathan Rafferty

Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven

Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Darius Labanauskas

Rhys Hayden 6-2 Toni Alcinas

Matthew Edgar Darts 6-3 Callan Rydz

Martin Schindler 6-4 Benito van de Pas

Andy Boulton 6-4 Mark McGeeney

Jason Lowe 6-3 Jonathan Worsley

Scott Waites 6-2 Madars Razma

Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Jason Askew

Harry Ward 6-3 Steffen Siepmann

Joe Murnan 6-3 Karel Sedlacek

Simon Stevenson 6-5 Kevin Doets

Kyle McKinstry 6-2 Stephen Burton

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Evening Session

Fourth Round

Gerwyn Price 10-3 Danny Noppert

Peter Wright 10-8 Glen Durrant

Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Nathan Aspinall

Gary Anderson 10-7 Steve Beaton

Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-5 Rhys Hayden

William O’Connor 10-8 Dave Chisnall

Stephen Bunting 10-9 Vincent van der Voort

Chris Dobey 10-9 Krzysztof Ratajski

Ian White 10-6 Harry Ward

Mensur Suljovic 10-4 Jamie Lewis

Gabriel Clemens 10-9 Ryan Joyce

Michael Smith 10-4 James Wilson

Kim Huybrechts 10-8 Ryan Searle

Alan Tabern 10-6 Richard North

Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-9 Jermaine Wattimena

Simon Whitlock 10-7 Jeffrey de Zwaan

Kyle McKinstry 10-8 Bradley Brooks

Rob Cross 10-7 Niels Zonneveld

Joe Cullen 10-7 Mervyn King

Jason Lowe 10-4 Adrian Lewis

Jelle Klaasen 10-5 William Borland

Ricky Evans 10-4 Joe Murnan

Simon Stevenson 10-9 Darren Webster

Jonny Clayton 10-7 Scott Waites

Andy Boulton 10-8 Luke Humphries

Steve West 10-9 Lewis Williams

Matthew Edgar 10-5 Josh Payne

James Wade 10-5 John Henderson

Daryl Gurney 10-9 Keegan Brown

Martin Schindler 10-2 Justin Pipe

Jamie Hughes 10-9 Brendan Dolan

Bye – Martin Atkins

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Saturday March 7

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT start)

Fifth Round

Main Stage

Simon Whitlock v Chris Dobey

Jason Lowe v Michael van Gerwen

Peter Wright v Ian White

Rob Cross v Michael Smith

Stage Two

William O’Connor v Daryl Gurney

Gerwyn Price v Ricky Evans

James Wade v Kim Huybrechts

Gary Anderson v Simon Stevenson

Stage Three

Jonny Clayton v Joe Cullen

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Mensur Suljovic

Stephen Bunting v Alan Tabern

Matthew Edgar v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Stage Four

Martin Atkins v Jamie Hughes

Jelle Klaasen v Steve West

Kyle McKinstry v Martin Schindler

Andy Boulton v Gabriel Clemens

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Evening Session (1900 GMT start)

Sixth Round

Main Stage & Stage Two

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Sunday March 8

Afternoon Session (1245 GMT start)

Quarter-Finals

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Main Stage

Evening Session (1900 GMT start)

Semi-Finals & Final

Main Stage

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Press Release ENDS

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