Dutch Darts Championship 2023 | Day Three Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 Dutch Darts Championship draws to a close in Leeuwarden on Sunday as the 16 remaining players compete for the title.
A £30,000 top prize is up for grabs at the WTC Expo as 13 seeds and three qualifiers collide over two sessions.
The afternoon session plays host to the Third Round ties, before the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and final follow in the evening.
World number one Michael Smith steps up the defence of his title with a clash against world number two Peter Wright.
The pair met in the Premier League in Leeds on Thursday, with Smith sealing a 6-2 victory with a stunning 164 checkout on his way to sealing a second weekly title of the season.
The pair exchanged a frosty handshake at the end of the contest, and ‘Snakebite’ will be out to gain a degree of revenge by dethroning the defending champion here.
Smith was a 6-4 winner over Jim Williams in his opener on Saturday, while Wright remarkably recovered from 4-0 and 5-1 down to defeat Krzysztof Ratajski in a deciding leg.
Home hero Michael van Gerwen resumes his quest for a first European Tour title of the season when he meets German number two Martin Schindler.
The duo met in the Semi-Finals of the recent International Darts Open, with Van Gerwen claiming a 7-4 victory before losing out to Gerwyn Price in the final.
Dirk van Duijvenbode, one of four Dutch hopefuls left standing in the competition, comes up against former Lakeside Champion Stephen Bunting.
Van Duijvenbode took to the stage ahead of his clash with Dylan Slevin on Saturday in typically energetic fashion, but took an unfortunate backward fall whilst performing his trademark fist-pump routine.
This left the Dutchman in visible discomfort throughout the contest, but he dug deep to edge past the Irish youngster in a deciding leg courtesy of a stunning 129 checkout on two double 18s.
Bunting, meanwhile, whitewashed Adam Smith-Neale in Round One on Friday, before edging out 12th seed Joe Cullen in a deciding leg.
Last year’s beaten finalist Danny Noppert continues his quest to go one better this time around when he faces Premier League star Nathan Aspinall.
Noppert thrashed Madars Razma 6-1 in his opener, while Aspinall dug deep to seal a 6-4 victory over Daryl Gurney with an 89 average amid visible issues with his throw.
The pair met at the same stage of last week’s Austrian Open, with Aspinall squandering four match darts in an eventual 6-5 defeat.
Dutch Open champion Berry van Peer looks to continue his impressive resurgence when he takes on fourth seed Damon Heta.
Van Peer, who came through the Host Nation qualifier, saw off Alan Soutar in Round One before dumping out Austrian Open champion Jonny Clayton in a last-leg decider on Saturday.
Heta has become renowned for his wacky walk-ons on the European Tour this year but took care of business on the oche by dispatching Steve Beaton 6-4.
Top seed Luke Humphries, who picked up four Euro Tour titles last season, looks to remain in contention for a first title of 2023 by overcoming UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.
Gilding registered a blistering 108.5 average in his 6-4 win over Ian White on Saturday, while Humphries averaged 101.4 in a high quality 6-3 success over Ross Smith.
Another mouth-watering clash sees Baltic Sea Darts Open winner Dave Chisnall take on last week’s Austrian Open runner-up – Josh Rock.
Chisnall averaged 100.5 in his 6-4 victory over Martin Lukeman on Saturday, while Rock swept aside debutant Graham Hall 6-2.
The opening tie of the afternoon sees Ryan Searle, semi-finalist in the season’s opening Euro Tour event, take on former UK Open semi-finalist Keane Barry.
Searle registered the highest average of the tournament so far (109.14) in thrashing Dimitri van den Bergh 6-1, and will be keen to pick up from where he left off as he comes up against the confident Irish youngster – who knocked out Rob Cross for the second time on the Euro Tour this term.
The action gets under way from 12pm BST, with Third Round and Quarter-Final ties to be contested over the best of 11 legs, Semi-Finals best of 13 and the final best of 15.
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Dutch Darts Championship 2023 Day Three Schedule
All times BST (Local time one hour ahead)
Sunday April 30
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Last 16
Keane Barry v Ryan Searle
Michael van Gerwen v Martin Schindler
Michael Smith v Peter Wright
Dave Chisnall v Josh Rock
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Stephen Bunting
Damon Heta v Berry van Peer
Nathan Aspinall v Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries v Andrew Gilding
Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Quarter-Finals
Barry/Searle v Van Gerwen/Schindler
Smith/Wright v Chisnall/Rock
Van Duijvenbode/Bunting v Heta/Van Peer
Aspinall/Noppert v Humphries/Gilding
Semi-Finals
Final
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