World Seniors Darts Championship 2023 | Day Three Preview and Order of Play
The Second Round action takes centre stage at the 2023 World Seniors Championship on Saturday as the big names look to make their move.
Eight seeds have already been sent packing in the over-50s event at the Circus Tavern, while six former World Champions remain in the running for the £30,000 title this weekend.
The eight Second Round ties take place over two sessions on Saturday, kicking off in the afternoon with a clash between home favourite Richie Howson and debutant Andy Jenkins.
Howson headed into the event as one of the most in-form competitors, having claimed back-to-back qualifying titles last month, and ‘The Owl’ delighted his strong contingent of supporters on Thursday by edging out World Seniors Masters champion David Cameron in a fifth set decider.
Jenkins, World Championship semi-finalist in 2007, coasted to a straight sets win over 1988 World Champion Bob Anderson in his opener for the loss of just one leg and will be determined to silence the crowd to continue his charge.
Former Players Champion Kevin Painter steps up his quest for a maiden World Seniors title with a tie against former Lakeside quarter-finalist Dennis Harbour.
Painter, who was famously beaten by Phil Taylor in a sudden death world final on this very stage in 2004, gained a degree of revenge on his long-term nemesis with a 3-0 victory in Round Two here last year before eventually bowing out in the Semi-Finals.
Harbour, 61, is one of three qualifiers in the field, and opened up with a commanding straight sets win over ten-time Women’s World Champion Trina Gulliver MBE in Round One.
Nine-time major finalist Terry Jenkins comes up against former World Masters champion Mark Dudbridge in one of the stand-out ties of the day.
Jenkins, who retired from PDC competition in 2018, enjoyed a fine run to the Semi-Finals of the inaugural World Seniors Championship 12 months ago, eventually losing out to Martin Adams, and battled his way to a 3-2 win over Chris Mason on Thursday.
Dudbridge, beaten world finalist here back in 2005, received an invitation for his first World Seniors appearance and impressively dispatched former Premier League champion Glen Durrant in three straight sets on Friday night.
Reigning WDF World Champion Neil Duff aims to remain on course for debut Seniors glory by overcoming 1983 World Champion Keith Deller.
Duff made history at Lakeside last year by overcoming Thibault Tricole in a dramatic eleventh set decider to claim the title and held his nerve to edge out Lisa Ashton in a tense last set decider on Thursday.
Deller defied the odds to defeat in-form Welsh qualifier Mike Huntley in a marathon tie break set on Friday 40 years on from his iconic world title triumph.
The evening session sees 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor resume his quest for a first Seniors crown with a clash against Yorkshire’s Darren Johnson.
Taylor finished runner-up in the World Seniors Masters and World Seniors Matchplay last year following a 3-0 defeat to Painter in the Quarter-Finals at The Circus Tavern and dug deep to recover from 2-1 down for a narrow 3-2 victory over Northern Ireland’s Colin McGarry in his opener this year.
Johnson qualified via the World Seniors Tour rankings and is a former PDC Tour Card holder and marked his Seniors televised debut with a hard-fought 3-2 success over former World Matchplay winner Larry Butler.
The pick of the night’s matches sees defending champion Robert Thornton take on 2015 BDO World Champion Scott Mitchell.
Multiple major champion Thornton dominated the inaugural season of the World Seniors, backing up his triumph here 12 months ago by also winning the World Seniors Matchplay in Hull.
After ending last season as world number 70, Mitchell surrendered his PDC Tour Card and missed out on an immediate return at Qualifying School last month by two points.
Three-time BDO World Champion Martin Adams faces a tough test against North American champion Leonard Gates.
Adams was denied glory by Robert Thornton in last year’s final, and ‘Wolfie’ remains a formidable competitor at the age of 66, defeating Dave Prins 3-1 in Round One.
Gates made his debut at Alexandra Palace in December, making an instant impression with his trademark dance moves and defeating Geert Nentjes in Round One before losing out to Stephen Bunting, and was a convincing 3-0 win over Tony O’Shea on his first appearance on the Circus Tavern stage.
Three-time World Champion John Part looks to book his place in Sunday’s Quarter-Finals by overcoming former World Trophy winner Daryl Fitton.
Part produced a crucial 126 checkout on the bull on his way to a hard-fought 3-2 win over former World Cup of Darts winner Co Stompe in Round One, while Fitton also came through a last-set shootout against 1997 World Champion Les Wallace to reach Round Two here for the first time.
The action gets under way from 1pm GMT, with First Round ties to be contested over the best of five sets (best of five legs per set). The deciding set of any match must be won by two clear legs, until the score line reaches 5-5 – when the 11th leg will be sudden death.
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World Seniors Championship 2023 Day Three Schedule
Saturday February 11
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Richie Howson v Andy Jenkins
Dennis Harbour v Kevin Painter
Mark Dudbridge v Terry Jenkins
Neil Duff v Keith Deller
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Robert Thornton v Scott Mitchell
Martin Adams v Leonard Gates
Phil Taylor v Darren Johnson
John Part v Darryl Fitton
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