UK Open Darts 2024 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play
The 2024 UK Open enters its business end in Minehead on Saturday with 32 players set to be whittled down to just eight by the end of play.
A dramatic Day One of the ‘FA Cup of Darts’ at the Butlins Minehead Resort saw 126 matches contested across eight stages, with a number of big names bowing out.
The action will now be held across four stages on Saturday, with the afternoon session playing host to the Fifth Round ties, before the Last 16 matches take place in the evening.
The Main Stage line-up commences with a showdown between 2018 UK Open champion Gary Anderson and 2023 Masters winner Chris Dobey.
Anderson has made a blistering start to the season, claiming a Players Championship title and reaching a further final, and the two-time World Champion reeled off six legs in a row to defeat Scottish compatriot Cameron Menzies 10-5 in his opener on Friday.
Dobey, meanwhile, was runner-up in Players Championship 4 less than a fortnight ago and continued his fine form by thrashing Mickey Mansell 10-3 with a 99.4 average in Round Four.
World Championship finalist and Premier League star Luke Littler returns to the Main Stage to take on German number two Martin Schindler.
Littler, who featured in last year’s UK Open as a Rileys amateur qualifier, averaged 101.8 in a 10-7 victory over three-time champion James Wade in Friday’s opener, landing a trademark 170 checkout in the process.
The 17-year-old is now favourite to lift his first PDC major title following the early exits of some of his key rivals, but he faces a tricky test against a player who has proven pedigree in this event.
Schindler enjoyed a superb run to the quarter-finals here 12 months ago and got off and running this weekend with a dramatic deciding leg scalp of Gerwyn Price, punishing six missed match darts from the Welshman in their encounter on Stage Two.
Damon Heta, winner of Players Championship 4 a fortnight ago, takes to the Main Stage to face 2019 UK Open champion Nathan Aspinall.
Heta came through a close-run contest with his Aussie World Cup team mate Simon Whitlock on Stage Two on Friday and has fond memories of reaching the Quarter-Finals two years ago.
Aspinall secured the Night Five title in the Premier League in Exeter on Thursday and duly picked up from where he left off as he overcame former BDO World Champion Scott Mitchell 10-6 on the outer boards.
World number one and World Champion Luke Humphries aims to end the landmark run of Denmark’s Benjamin Drue Reus.
Humphries reached his first major final at the UK Open behind closed doors in 2021 and has gone on to claim four major titles since last October to assert his authority at the top of the sport.
Humphries dispatched Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-7 with a 101 average on Friday night and now meets the lowest ranked player left standing in the competition.
World Cup star Reus is the only player to have started out in Round One to reach this stage of this year’s event, having defeated Bradly Roes, Tom Lonsdale, Callan Rydz and Jose De Sousa on a memorable day in Minehead.
The action on Stage Two begins with a tie between former European Champion Ross Smith and former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton.
In-form Rob Cross, runner-up in Thursday’s Premier League Night Five and a former UK Open finalist, faces his close friend and former World Youth champion – Josh Rock.
Reigning Masters champion Stephen Bunting comes up against rising Dutch star Kevin Doets – who has already seen off Robert Owen and Daniel Klose to reach this stage.
Reigning champion Andrew Gilding steps up the defence of his title with a huge tie against 2017 champion Peter Wright – one of only four players to have appeared in three or more UK Open finals.
The outer board action features a tie between 2023 World Champion Michael Smith and Luke Woodhouse, while Mensur Suljovic’s reward for his scalp of three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in Round Four is a clash with multiple major finalist Dave Chisnall.
Graham Usher, who knocked out Owen Bates, Ronny Huybrechts and Ryan Searle on Day One, now faces World Youth finalist Gian van Veen on Stage Four.
Danny Noppert, the 2022 UK Open champion, faces Martin Lukeman, while Krzysztof Ratajski takes on UK Open veteran Mervyn King.
The action gets under way from 12.45pm GMT, with Last 32 and Last 16 ties to be contested over the best of 19 legs.
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UK Open 2024 Day Two Schedule
Saturday March 2
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm)
Fifth Round
Main Stage
Gary Anderson v Chris Dobey
Luke Littler v Martin Schindler
Damon Heta v Nathan Aspinall
Benjamin Drue Reus v Luke Humphries
Stage Two
Jonny Clayton v Ross Smith
Rob Cross v Josh Rock
Stephen Bunting v Kevin Doets
Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding
Stage Three
Ricky Evans v Mike De Decker
Michael Smith v Luke Woodhouse
Dave Chisnall v Mensur Suljovic
Vincent van der Voort v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Stage Four
Graham Usher v Gian van Veen
Martin Lukeman v Danny Noppert
Keane Barry v Ryan Meikle
Krzysztof Ratajski v Mervyn King
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Sixth Round
2x Stages, 4 Matches per board
