Top eight safely progress on Day One of the UK Open as Littler and Banks enjoy memorable debut runs
The world’s top eight players safely advanced to the Fifth Round of the 2023 UK Open on Friday, as two former champions crashed out on an action-packed opening day in Minehead.
Day One of the ‘FA Cup of Darts’ saw 126 matches played across eight stages on a frantic Friday at the Butlins Minehead Resort.
The opening four rounds took place across two pulsating sessions, as the 158-player field was whittled down to 32 by the end of the day.
Two-time runner-up Gerwyn Price produced an imperious display to end the fairy-tale run of teenage debutant Thomas Banks, one of two 16-year-old Rileys Amateur Qualifiers to reach Round Four.
Banks overcame Graham Hall and Conor Heneghan before succumbing 10-3 to Price – who averaged 103 and posted seven maximums to cap off an outstanding performance in the evening’s curtain-raiser.
Meanwhile, Luke Littler – who came through the Rileys Chorlton Qualifier on his 16th birthday – claimed a hat-trick of superb wins before bowing out in round four against Adam Gawlas, despite averaging over 100.
Three-time UK Open winner Michael van Gerwen defied a spirited rally from Dave Chisnall to seal his spot in Saturday’s fifth round, firing in a timely 11-darter to wrap up a 10-8 success.
“It wasn’t an easy draw against Dave, but you need to make sure you win and I did that,” reflected Van Gerwen, who comes into Minehead fresh from back-to-back weekly titles in the Premier League.
“I don’t often have a lot of luck in the UK Open, but you have to produce your A-game, whoever you’re drawn against.
“I am winning games without playing well and that gives you confidence. That’s the only thing that matters at the moment.”
Defending champion Danny Noppert also advanced courtesy of a 10-8 victory, defying a valiant fightback from Jim Williams to come out on top in a high-quality encounter.
World Champion Michael Smith, runner-up in last year’s UK Open, advanced in more serene style, averaging 101 and converting three ton-plus finishes in a 10-4 rout of his close friend Ian White.
“It was difficult being up there against one of my best mates and my practice partner, but I had a job to do,” admitted Smith.
“Ian made it 4-7 and he had darts for 5-7. If that had gone in, it could have been a different story, but I took out the 124 on the bull and then the 167 and 100 followed.
“I pulled it out from somewhere. Ian is a really good friend, but I wouldn’t have been happy if I’d lost that match and hopefully I can go all the way now.”
Peter Wright returned to winning ways in a dramatic showdown against Stephen Bunting, firing in a 14-dart break to win a last-leg shoot-out, after Bunting missed double 12 for a nine-darter in the penultimate leg.
Masters champion Chris Dobey also missed double 12 for a nine-darter in his 10-6 victory over Ryan Searle, averaging 102 to join his fellow Premier League stars Dimitri Van den Bergh and Jonny Clayton in the last 32.
Van den Bergh dispatched World Championship semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens 10-5 in his opener, while Clayton defied nine 180s from European Champion Ross Smith to prevail in a deciding-leg thriller.
Nathan Aspinall secured his first win at the UK Open since lifting the trophy in 2019 as all eight Premier League players progressed to Round Five, with Aspinall recovering from 7-3 and 9-7 down to deny Alan Soutar.
Two-time champion Raymond van Barneveld was one of two former winners to depart the tournament at the Fourth Round stage, after being edged out in a last-leg decider by 2018 World Champion Rob Cross.
Meanwhile, 2018 winner Gary Anderson produced the performance of the night to account for three-time champion James Wade, averaging almost 105 and crashing in eight 180s to close out a 10-8 victory.
On the outside boards, 2021 runner-up Luke Humphries overcame World Cup winner Damon Heta in a last-leg decider, after Joe Cullen had underlined his credentials to see off Irish newcomer Dylan Slevin.
Elsewhere, 2014 champion Adrian Lewis stormed through to round five, following up a whitewash win over Joe Murnan by averaging 102 to ease past Canada’s Matt Campbell.
Brendan Dolan reeled off five straight legs from 9-5 down to stun 2008 runner-up Vincent van der Voort, who saw his compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode come through a topsy-turvy tussle against Krzysztof Ratajski.
Jeffrey de Zwaan and Karel Sedlacek were the only two players who began their campaigns in round one to advance to Saturday’s action, while veteran trio Steve Beaton, Mervyn King and Richie Burnett also progressed.
Luke Woodhouse was one of Friday’s stand-out performers, posting ton-plus averages in emphatic wins over Josh Rock and Jelle Klaasen to seal his spot in Saturday’s draw, dropping just four legs in the process.
The draw for the fifth round was made live on the Main Stage at the conclusion of Friday night’s action, with reigning champion Noppert pitted against an in-form William O’Connor.
Van Gerwen will take on his compatriot Martijn Kleermaker, with world number one Smith up against Humphries in an eye-catching tussle.
Elsewhere, Price plays De Zwaan, Anderson faces a resurgent Kim Huybrechts, and Wright will meet former World Championship quarter-finalist Callan Rydz.
At the conclusion of the fifth round, the draw will be made for the sixth round – which will take place across two stages on Saturday evening.
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UK Open 2023 Day One Results
Friday March 3
Afternoon Session
Main Stage
Luke Littler 6-0 Nick Fullwell (R1)
Jelle Klaasen 6-2 Josh Payne (R1)
Danny Jansen 6-4 Bradley Brooks (R2)
Connor Scutt 6-3 Jimmy Hendriks (R2)
James Richardson 2-6 Richie Burnett (R2)
Keegan Brown 3-6 Niels Zonneveld (R2)
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Joe Murnan (R3)
Josh Rock 6-2 Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Ross Montgomery 3-6 Simon Whitlock (R3)
Stage Two
Gian van Veen 6-4 Robert Owen (R1)
James Richardson 6-4 Thibault Tricole (R1)
Lukas Wenig 3-6 Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki 4-6 Joshua Richardson (R1)
Jules van Dongen 4-6 Kevin Doets (R2)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 2-6 Luke Littler (R2)
Matt Campbell 6-4 Christopher Holt (R2)
Daniel Klose 3-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Florian Hempel 6-3 Jamie Hughes (R3)
Boris Krcmar 4-6 Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Steve Beaton 6-4 Connor Scutt (R3)
Scott Williams 5-6 Jelle Klaasen (R3)
Stage Three
Jurjen van der Velde 6-4 Brett Claydon (R1)
Geert Nentjes 6-5 Christian Kist (R1)
Arron Monk 6-5 Vladimir Andersen (R1)
Dan Read 6-5 Callum Loose (R1)
Jose Justicia 4-6 Mickey Mansell (R2)
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Jim Moston (R2)
Ted Evetts 6-2 Jim McEwan (R2)
Lewis Gurney 6-5 Stephen Burton (R2)
William O’Connor 6-2 Devon Petersen (R3)
Lewy Williams 1-6 Danny Jansen (R3)
Kevin Doets 6-3 Radek Szaganski (R3)
Mario Vandenbogaerde 4-6 Adam Gawlas (R3)
Luke Littler 6-5 Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
Stage Four
Conor Heneghan 6-2 Daniel Lee (R1)
Graham Hall 6-4 Jeffrey Sparidaans (R1)
Jacques Labre 3-6 Daniel Klose (R1)
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Harry Lane (R1)
Luc Peters 0-6 James Wilson (R2)
Damian Mol 6-4 Gary Davey (R2)
Dan Read 6-4 Brian Raman (R2)
Joshua Richardson 3-6 Owen Roelofs (R2)
Ryan Joyce 5-6 Mike De Decker (R3)
Cameron Menzies 2-6 Ian White (R3)
Jim Williams 6-3 Gian Van Veen (R3)
Dylan Slevin 6-2 Robbie Knops (R3)
Stage Five
Adam Warner 6-2 Andy Jenkins (R1)
Graham Usher 6-4 Noel Grant (R1)
Nathan Girvan 2-6 Niels Zonneveld (R1)
Michael Flynn 6-4 Jonathan Wynn (R1)
Richard Veenstra 6-1 Jamie Clark (R2)
Darren Webster 6-5 Tony Martinez (R2)
Conor Heneghan 6-5 Nick Kenny (R2)
Graham Hall 3-6 Thomas Banks (R2)
Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 Steve Lennon (R3)
Martin Lukeman 6-4 Dan Read (R3)
Madars Razma 5-6 George Killington (R3)
Richie Burnett 6-1 Jurjen Van der Velde (R3)
Stage Six
Callum Goffin 2-6 Robbie Knops (R1)
Pascal Rupprecht 5-6 Nick Kenny (R1)
Jarred Cole 5-6 Jitse Van der Wal (R1)
Jim McEwan 6-1 Danny Lauby (R1)
Kevin Burness 2-6 Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Graham Usher 6-5 John O’Shea (R2)
Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-3 Geert Nentjes (R2)
Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)
Mensur Suljovic 6-3 Mickey Mansell (R3)
Keane Barry 6-3 Damian Mol (R3)
Jeff Smith 1-6 Matt Campbell (R3)
Karel Sedlacek 6-1 Lewis Gurney (R3)
Stage Seven
Jim Moston 6-4 Kenny Neyens (R1)
Dylan Slevin 6-0 Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)
Gary Davey 6-4 Lee Evans (R1)
Danny van Trijp 3-6 Christopher Holt (R1)
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Krzysztof Kciuk (R2)
Gian Van Veen 6-5 Scott Waites (R2)
Jurjen van der Velde 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts (R2)
Michael Flynn 1-6 Karel Sedlacek (R2)
Ryan Meikle 5-6 Nathan Rafferty (R3)
Andrew Gilding 6-2 Darren Webster (R3)
Niels Zonneveld 3-6 Darius Labanauskas (R3)
Ted Evetts 6-3 Owen Roelofs (R3)
Stage Eight
Dom Taylor 4-6 Darren Webster (R1)
Lewis Gurney 6-5 Darryl Pilgrim (R1)
Stuart White 3-6 Owen Roelofs (R1)
Stephen Burton 6-5 Adam Smith-Neale (R1)
Ross Montgomery 6-5 Adam Warner (R2)
Dylan Slevin 6-4 Shaun Wilkinson (R2)
Jitse Van der Wal 1-6 George Killington (R2)
Arron Monk 0-6 Robbie Knops (R2)
Richard Veenstra 2-6 Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)
Ricky Evans 6-5 Graham Usher (R3)
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-5 James Wilson (R3)
Thomas Banks 6-2 Conor Heneghan (R3)
Fourth Round
Evening Session
Main Stage
Gerwyn Price 10-3 Thomas Banks
Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Dave Chisnall
Michael Smith 10-4 Ian White
James Wade 8-10 Gary Anderson
Stage Two
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-5 Gabriel Clemens
Raymond van Barneveld 9-10 Rob Cross
Ross Smith 9-10 Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting 9-10 Peter Wright
Stage Three
Darius Labanauskas 8-10 Jose de Sousa
Luke Woodhouse 10-2 Jelle Klaasen
George Killington 6-10 Martijn Kleermaker
Mensur Suljovic 4-10 Karel Sedlacek
Stage Four
Adam Gawlas 10-8 Luke Littler
Matt Campbell 4-10 Adrian Lewis
William O’Connor 10-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Krzysztof Ratajski 8-10 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Stage Five
Jeffrey de Zwaan 10-9 Danny Jansen
Mervyn King 10-7 Keane Barry
Nathan Rafferty 8-10 Ted Evetts
Danny Noppert 10-8 Jim Williams
Stage Six
Dylan Slevin 7-10 Joe Cullen
Martin Schindler 10-7 Simon Whitlock
Callan Rydz 10-7 Daryl Gurney
Kim Huybrechts 10-8 Mike De Decker
Stage Seven
Kevin Doets 10-9 Martin Lukeman
Richie Burnett 10-9 Florian Hempel
Rowby-John Rodriguez 4-10 Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort 9-10 Brendan Dolan
Stage Eight
Ryan Searle 6-10 Chris Dobey
Ricky Evans 5-10 Andrew Gilding
Alan Soutar 9-10 Nathan Aspinall
Luke Humphries 10-9 Damon Heta
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