New Zealand Darts Masters 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 New Zealand Darts Masters gets under way in Hamilton on Friday as the PDC stars and Oceanic representatives lock horns.
The third staging of the World Series event features 16 players competing for the £20,000 top prize at the Globox Arena from August 4-5.
The opening round sees the eight PDC representatives each face an Oceanic opponent as they bid to avoid an early exit.
Gerwyn Price, who claimed this title 12 months ago courtesy of an 8-4 win over Jonny Clayton in the final, begins the defence of his crown with a clash against Aussie legend Simon Whitlock.
Premier League finalist Price has picked up the World Series Finals title on two occasions and finished runner-up in the opening two World Series events earlier this year.
The world number four was beaten by Joe Cullen in the Second Round of the recent World Matchplay and will be keen to bounce back following a three-week break.
Whitlock has been a regular on the World Series circuit over the past decade, with his sole appearance in a final coming at the 2014 Singapore Masters – where he was denied glory by Michael van Gerwen.
The former World Cup of Darts winner has dropped to 39th in the PDC Order of Merit but enjoyed a resurgent run to a ProTour final back in February.
Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Michael Smith starts his quest for a fourth World Series title with a tie against Australia’s Darren Penhall.
Smith secured the Bahrain Masters title in January little over a week after becoming World Champion, and has also added a European Tour and Players Championship title this term.
Cornwall-born Penhall, now based in Melbourne, comes into the event as the DPA number one, having held a PDC Tour Card from 2020-21.
Two-time World Champion Peter Wright has been drawn to face TV debutant Jonny Tata – winner of the DPNZ Qualifier 2.
Wright returns to New Zealand after missing last year’s tournament due to surgery and is targeting a second World Series title of the season, following on from January’s Nordic Masters success.
Newly-crowned World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall begins his campaign against New Zealand youngster Kayden Milne.
Aspinall ended a four-year wait for a major title in fairy-tale fashion at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool a fortnight ago and will be determined to continue that inspired run of form.
Milne notably defeated Fallon Sherrock in last year’s tournament and returns to the big stage ahead of his participation in the World Youth Championship later this month.
Former World Champion Rob Cross kicks off the tournament with a tie against Kiwi veteran Warren Parry.
Cross has claimed titles on the ProTour and European Tour this season and is vying to end a five-year wait for World Series silverware, having sealed a maiden win at the 2018 Brisbane Masters.
Parry, 59, is no stranger to a big-name scalp on the World Series stage, having famously recovered from 5-1 down to stun Van Gerwen in the 2014 Sydney Masters.
Damon Heta, the 2019 Brisbane Masters champion, takes on former BDO World Championship qualifier Darren Herewini.
Heta has enjoyed a blistering spell of form this summer, picking up two Players Championship titles and reaching the Quarter-Finals of the World Matchplay for the first time.
Dimitri Van den Bergh, twice a World Series event winner, faces DPNZ number two Haupai Puha – who defeated Jonny Clayton in last year’s Queensland Masters.
Former UK Open champion Danny Noppert faces a tricky opener against DPNZ number one Ben Robb – a three-time PDC World Championship qualifier.
The action gets under way from 8am BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
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New Zealand Darts Masters 2023 Day One Schedule
All times BST (local time +11 hours)
Friday August 4
First Round
8am-12pm
Rob Cross v Warren Parry
Damon Heta v Darren Herewini
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Haupai Puha
Peter Wright v Jonny Tata
Nathan Aspinall v Kayden Milne
Gerwyn Price v Simon Whitlock
Michael Smith v Darren Penhall
Danny Noppert v Ben Robb
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