Mensur Suljovic stuns Michael van Gerwen at the UK Open as Schindler punishes Price

Mensur Suljovic stunned Michael van Gerwen to book his place in the Fifth Round of the 2024 UK Open on Friday, as Martin Schindler sent Gerwyn Price packing.

A dramatic Day One of the ‘FA Cup of Darts’ at Butlins Minehead saw 126 matches contested across eight stages, leaving just 32 players left standing in the competition.

The biggest story of the day saw world number 56 Suljovic roll back the years to stun Van Gerwen, winning eight of the last ten legs to inflict a 10-7 defeat on the three-time UK Open champion – who appeared to be struggling with a shoulder injury.

“Michael van Gerwen is the best player in the world at the moment,” insisted Suljovic.

“This is a brilliant feeling for me. I had some family problems last year, but this year I am practising every day, and I hope I can have a good tournament.”

Price, the 2017 and 2020 UK Open runner-up, was another high-profile casualty on Friday evening as he squandered six match darts in a dramatic deciding leg defeat to Schindler.

Teenage sensation Luke Littler avoided the same fate however, averaging 101 and producing finishes of 101, 109, 120 and 170 to secure a 10-7 win over three-time champion James Wade.

“I’m just glad to get over the line in the end,” reflected Littler, who was a Rileys Amateur Qualifier at this event 12 months ago.

“This tournament is where it all began for myself. I’m loving this experience. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of, and I’m just taking it in my stride.”

World Champion Luke Humphries opened his bid for a fourth consecutive televised ranking title with an eye-catching 10-7 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode, defying ten maximums from the Dutch star to prevail with a 101 average.

Reigning champion Andrew Gilding also enjoyed his Minehead return, kicking off his defence of the title with a battling 10-7 victory over Josh Payne, crashing in six 180s in the process.

Gilding was one of five UK Open winners to progress to the Last 32, with Nathan Aspinall, Danny Noppert, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson all celebrating victory.

Aspinall saw off former Lakeside champion Scott Mitchell in his opener, while Noppert won six of the last seven legs to complete a comeback win over German number one Gabriel Clemens.

Wright brushed aside Joshua Richardson 10-3 to open his title challenge, before 2018 champion Anderson reeled off six straight legs to win through an all-Scottish showdown against Cameron Menzies.

Premier League duo Michael Smith and Rob Cross also tasted victory on Friday evening, with Masters champion Stephen Bunting joining the pair in the winner’s circle.

Ross Smith recorded a 10-8 victory over Daryl Gurney in a high-quality encounter, before Damon Heta defeated his World Cup partner Simon Whitlock by the same scoreline.

Former Masters winner Chris Dobey averaged 99 in his 10-3 demolition of Mickey Mansell, while last year’s semi-finalist Dimitri Van den Bergh denied Brendan Dolan in a marathon contest.

Jonny Clayton survived a major scare to outlast German debutant Tim Wolters in his fourth round tie, as Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski and Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock breezed through in routine fashion.

Earlier in the night, two-time winner Raymond van Barneveld and Ryan Searle suffered deciding-leg heartbreak, losing out to Luke Woodhouse and Graham Usher in their respective fourth round ties.

Denmark’s World Cup star Benjamin Reus is the only player who entered in Round One left standing ahead of Saturday’s action, while former semi-finalists Dave Chisnall, Mervyn King and Keane Barry also progressed.

World Youth Championship runner-up Gian van Veen booked his place in the Last 32 with a brace of wins across the day, to move through alongside his compatriots Vincent van der Voort and Kevin Doets.

Mike De Decker, Ricky Evans, Martin Lukeman and Ryan Meikle also registered back-to-back wins on Friday, as the quartet continued their bids for a maiden televised title in Minehead.

UK Open 2024 Day One Results

Friday March 1

Afternoon Session

Main Stage
Haupai Puha 6-4 Jelle Klaasen (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki 4-6 Jenson Walker (R1)
Jeffrey Sparidaans 2-6 Christian Perez (R2)
Jacques Labre 6-4 Steve Lennon (R2)
Jurjen van der Velde 4-6 Jeffrey de Zwaan (R2)
Bradley Brooks 5-6 Thibault Tricole (R2)
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Madars Razma (R3)
Steve Beaton 5-6 Josh Payne (R3)
Jim Williams 2-6 Leonard Gates (R3)

Stage Two
Connor Scutt 5-6 Wesley Plaisier (R1)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 1-6 Ron Meulenkamp (R1)
Jules van Dongen 5-6 Thibault Tricole (R1)
Danny Lauby 6-3 Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Geert Nentjes 6-3 Pascal Rupprecht (R2)
Karel Sedlacek 3-6 Robert Owen (R2)
Andy Baetens 4-6 Brett Claydon (R2)
Rhys Griffin 3-6 Leonard Gates (R2)
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Maik Kuivenhoven 5-6 Simon Whitlock (R3)
Gian van Veen 6-3 John Henderson (R3)
Thibault Tricole 3-6 Cameron Menzies (R3)

Stage Three
Christian Kist 3-6 Patrick Geeraets (R1)
Leighton Bennett 4-6 Scott Mitchell (R1)
Matthew Dennant 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)
Conan Whitehead 4-6 Leonard Gates (R1)
Owen Roelofs 6-1 Stephen Burton (R2)
Johnny Haines 3-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Josh Payne 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp (R2)
Tom Lonsdale 3-6 Benjamin Drue Reus (R2)
Boris Krcmar 6-1 Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
Nick Kenny 6-5 Matt Campbell (R3)
Alan Soutar 4-6 Brett Claydon (R3)
Ricky Evans 6-3 Lee Evans (R3)
Graham Usher 6-3 Ronny Huybrechts (R3)

Stage Four
Dom Taylor 6-5 Brandon Western (R1)
Lukas Wenig 4-6 Tom Lonsdale (R1)
Kevin Burness 4-6 John Henderson (R1)
Owen Bates 6-5 Andy Boulton (R1)
Daniel Klose 6-3 Adam Warner (R2)
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Harry Lane (R2)
Niels Zonneveld 4-6 Wessel Nijman (R2)
Darren Beveridge 4-6 Scott Mitchell (R2)
Mickey Mansell 6-4 Ian White (R3)
Ryan Meikle 6-3 Geert Nentjes (R3)
Mario Vandenbogaerde 2-6 Florian Hempel (R3)
Jeffrey De Zwaan 1-6 Patrick Geeraets (R3)

Stage Five
Jack Male 6-5 Martijn Dragt (R1)
Ashley Coleman 3-6 Tim Wolters (R1)
Brett Claydon 6-4 Thomas Lovely (R1)
Bradly Roes 4-6 Benjamin Reus (R1)
Callum Goffin 2-6 Nick Kenny (R2)
James Hurrell 2-6 Joe Croft (R2)
Chris Landman 0-6 Lee Evans (R2)
Dom Taylor 5-6 John Henderson (R2)
William O’Connor 0-6 Mensur Suljovic (R3)
Robert Owen 5-6 Kevin Doets (R3)
Mike De Decker 6-3 Wessel Nijman (R3)
Wesley Plaisier 3-6 Daniel Klose (R3)

Stage Six
Jitse van der Wal 3-6 Johnny Haines (R1)
Bradley Brooks 6-3 Cam Crabtree (R1)
Paul Krohne 5-6 Michael Taylor (R1)
Christopher Toonders 3-6 Chris Landman (R1)
Adam Smith-Neale 4-6 Patrick Geeraets (R2)
George Killington 6-5 Robbie Knops (R2)
Joshua Richardson 6-2 Keegan Brown (R2)
Jack Male 5-6 Danny Lauby (R2)
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Dylan Slevin (R3)
Keane Barry 6-4 Joe Croft (R3)
Adam Gawlas 6-0 Jarred Cole (R3)
Tim Wolters 6-4 Ryan Joyce (R3)

Stage Seven
George Killington 6-4 Radek Szaganski (R1)
Darryl Pilgrim 5-6 Joshua Richardson (R1)
Joe Croft 6-5 William Borland (R1)
Jason Hogg 4-6 Darren Beveridge (R1)
Berry van Peer 2-6 Maik Kuivenhoven (R2)
Matthew Dennant 6-1 Danny van Trijp (R2)
Robert Grundy 5-6 Jarred Cole (R2)
Wesley Plaisier 6-2 Haupai Puha (R2)
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Christian Perez (R3)
Mervyn King 6-4 George Killington (R3)
Benjamin Drue Reus 6-5 Callan Rydz (R3)
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-3 Michael Taylor (R3)

Stage Eight
Harry Lane 6-3 Dominik Gruellich (R1)
Harry Gregory 5-6 Rhys Griffin (R1)
Michele Turetta 3-6 Robert Grundy (R1)
David Sumner 6-3 Wessel Nijman (R1)
Arron Monk 4-6 Dylan Slevin (R2)
Michael Taylor 6-2 Graham Hall (R2)
Owen Bates 5-6 Graham Usher (R2)
Jenson Walker 3-6 Tim Wolters (R2)
Owen Roelofs 1-6 Richard Veenstra (R3)
Joshua Richardson 6-5 Jamie Hughes (R3)
Danny Lauby 6-2 Jacques Labre (R3)
Matthew Dennant 5-6 Scott Mitchell (R3)

Evening Session

Main Stage
Josh Payne 7-10 Andrew Gilding
Michael van Gerwen 7-10 Mensur Suljovic
James Wade 7-10 Luke Littler
Dirk van Duijvenbode 7-10 Luke Humphries

Stage Two
Danny Noppert 10-8 Gabriel Clemens
Michael Smith 10-7 Joe Cullen
Simon Whitlock 8-10 Damon Heta
Gerwyn Price 9-10 Martin Schindler

Stage Three
Ryan Searle 9-10 Graham Usher
Kevin Doets 10-6 Daniel Klose
Ross Smith 10-8 Daryl Gurney
Scott Mitchell 6-10 Nathan Aspinall

Stage Four
Ryan Meikle 10-6 Brett Claydon
Benjamin Reus 10-7 Jose de Sousa
Chris Dobey 10-3 Mickey Mansell
Danny Lauby 3-10 Stephen Bunting

Stage Five
Scott Williams 4-10 Ricky Evans
Kim Huybrechts 6-10 Keane Barry
Rowby-John Rodriguez 3-10 Rob Cross
Cameron Menzies 5-10 Gary Anderson

Stage Six
Raymond van Barneveld 9-10 Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton 10-9 Tim Wolters
Leonard Gates 5-10 Martin Lukeman
Brendan Dolan 8-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Stage Seven
Gian van Veen 10-7 Florian Hempel
Mike De Decker 10-6 Richard Veenstra
Nick Kenny 4-10 Dave Chisnall
Krzysztof Ratajski 10-4 Adam Gawlas

Stage Eight
Joshua Richardson 3-10 Peter Wright
Josh Rock 10-5 Patrick Geeraets
Mervyn King 10-3 Ricardo Pietreczko
Vincent van der Voort 10-5 Boris Krcmar