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Players Championship Finals 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play

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Players Championship Finals 2023 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play

Richard Veenstra stuns struggling Michael Smith at the Players Championship Finals

Jamie Shaw in Players Championship Finals 25 Nov 2023

Veenstra sends home Smith (Photo by Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Richard Veenstra sent world number one Michael Smith crashing out on the opening day of the 2023 Players Championship Finals in Minehead.

Day One of the £600,000 major saw all 64 players in first round action at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, with an out of sorts Smith bowing out on Friday evening.

The St Helens star missed double 12 for a nine-darter midway through the tie, but was punished for a below-par display by a nerveless Veenstra – who averaged 97 to secure the biggest win of his PDC career to date.

Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen avoided a similar fate, averaging 97 to launch his bid for a record-extending eighth Players Championship Finals title with a 6-3 win over a struggling Callan Rydz.

The Dutch superstar will now meet eighth seed Ross Smith in Saturday afternoon’s Second Round, after the former European Champion averaged 98 and produced 120 and 130 finishes to wrap up a 6-2 rout of Scott Williams.

Newly crowned World Grand Prix and Grand Slam champion Luke Humphries survived a scare to see off Martin Lukeman, reeling off four straight legs from 4-2 adrift to extend his winning run to eight games.

“I struggled to find my range early on,” admitted Humphries, who averaged 99.7 to complete an impressive fightback.

“The belief is what has changed in my game. When I’m staring defeat in the face I am beginning to find ways to turn it around and win, and I never panicked at any point there.

“I’m a two-time major champion now, but I want to keep riding the crest of a wave, and my will to win is still greater than ever.”

Top seed Gerwyn Price underlined his credentials with an emphatic ten-minute whitewash of Ricky Evans, as he eyes his first PDC Premier ranking title since October 2021.

“I know I’m playing really well – I’m flying,” insisted Price, who will now take on 2012 runner-up Kim Huybrechts after the Belgian fought back from 5-3 down to topple Martin Schindler.

“I’m practising well and every time I am losing, I’m averaging a ton-plus, and it’s taking someone to play really well to knock me out of the tournament.

“The first game is always tough, but I felt quite comfortable tonight and the crowd were brilliant.”

Second seed Gary Anderson was forced to come through a last-leg shoot-out against Steve Beaton, conjuring up a 13-darter in the decider to prevail in a battle of the veterans.

The 2014 champion will now play Dimitri Van den Bergh in a blockbuster battle, after the Belgian capitalised on a profligate display from Jim Williams to return to winning ways.

Masters champion Chris Dobey came through a scrappy affair against five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld, winning four of the last five legs to complete a 6-3 success.

Dobey’s reward is a second round tie with fourth seed Dave Chisnall, who eased through to the last 32 with an emphatic 6-2 victory against Lee Evans, averaging 99 in the process.

Grand Slam runner-up Rob Cross – the runner-up in last year’s Players Championship Finals – recovered from a sluggish start to run out a 6-3 winner against Cameron Menzies in a topsy-turvy affair.

James Wade will take on Steve Lennon for a place in the Last 16, after averaging an impressive 101.5 in a 6-2 demolition of William O’Connor to continue his resurgent run of form.

Niels Zonneveld averaged almost 101 to send 2018 champion Daryl Gurney packing, and he now faces 2017 runner-up Jonny Clayton, who accounted for Stephen Burton in his opener.

Third seed Damon Heta raced past Jules van Dongen to set up a clash against Dutchman Kevin Doets, who recovered from 4-2 down to edge out Jose De Sousa in a last-leg shoot-out.

Former World Youth Champion Josh Rock and Germany’s number one Gabriel Clemens will also collide in round two, courtesy of battling wins over Rowby-John Rodriguez and Connor Scutt respectively.

Earlier in the afternoon, an in-form Stephen Bunting produced terrific 164 and 134 checkouts to overcome Mickey Mansell and move through to a showdown against Gian van Veen.

Dutch star Van Veen swept aside compatriot Chris Landman in quick-fire fashion, averaging 96 and pinning 75% of his attempts at double to book his place in Saturday’s second round.

2021 runner-up Ryan Searle crashed in five 180s in his 6-4 success against Boris Krcmar, setting up a clash against Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko, who eased past a struggling Christian Kist 6-1.

Former Masters champion Joe Cullen thrashed Jamie Hughes by the same scoreline, which creates a second round clash against Ryan Joyce, who accounted for German newcomer Daniel Klose.

Brendan Dolan pinned all six of his double attempts to cap off a flawless display of finishing against Ritchie Edhouse, and he will now play Krzysztof Ratajski’s conqueror, Maik Kuivenhoven.

Ireland’s former World Cup finalist Lennon claimed the scalp of UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, reeling off the last three legs without reply to triumph 6-3.

Luke Woodhouse landed five maximums in his 6-4 victory against Australian icon Simon Whitlock, while Matt Campbell produced a stunning 139 skin-saver on his way to a comeback victory against Dylan Slevin.

Sixth seed Dirk van Duijvenbode was the highest-ranked seed to exit on an action-packed opening day, as the injury-plagued Dutchman succumbed to fellow countryman Jermaine Wattimena.

Meanwhile, Mario Vandenbogaerde hit six of his ten double attempts to brush aside Mike De Decker in a battle of the Belgians, while Poland’s Radek Szaganski breezed to a debut win against Ian White.

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Players Championship Finals 2023 Day One Results

Friday November 24

First Round

Afternoon Session

Main Stage
Ross Smith 6-2 Scott Williams
Ryan Searle 6-4 Boris Krcmar
Damon Heta 6-1 Jules van Dongen
Gian van Veen 6-1 Chris Landman
Rob Cross 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Josh Rock 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez
James Wade 6-2 William O’Connor
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Stephen Burton

Stage Two
Radek Szaganski 6-2 Ian White
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Ryan Joyce 6-3 Daniel Klose
Mike De Decker 1-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-1 Christian Kist
Stephen Bunting 6-4 Mickey Mansell
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Connor Scutt
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Jim Williams

Evening Session

Main Stage
Dylan Slevin 5-6 Matt Campbell
Chris Dobey 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Michael Smith 3-6 Richard Veenstra
Gary Anderson 6-5 Steve Beaton
Gerwyn Price 6-0 Ricky Evans
Callan Rydz 3-6 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 6-4 Martin Lukeman
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Lee Evans

Stage Two
Jose de Sousa 5-6 Kevin Doets
Krzysztof Ratajski 4-6 Maik Kuivenhoven
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse
Andrew Gilding 3-6 Steve Lennon
Daryl Gurney 3-6 Niels Zonneveld
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Martin Schindler
Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-6 Jermaine Wattimena
Joe Cullen 6-1 Jamie Hughes

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Richard Veenstra stuns struggling Michael Smith at the Players Championship Finals

Players Championship Finals 2023 Day One Results

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