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Czech Darts Open 2019 Day One preview and order of play: Qualifiers aim to progress in Prague

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Czech Darts Open 2019 Day Three preview and order of play: Inaugural title up for grabs

Cadby enjoys dream European Tour debut at the Czech Open as Durrant lays down a marker

Jamie Shaw in European Tour 02 Dec 2019

Corey Cadby enjoyed a perfect start to his European Tour career by whitewashing Wessel Nijman 6-0 in Round One of the Czech Darts Open in Prague on Friday, while Glen Durrant posted a 110 average in his 6-1 demolition of Daniel Larsson.

The inaugural PDC ranking tournament in the Czech Republic got off to a gripping start at the PVA Expo as a host of in-form qualifiers secured a Second Round meeting with one of the top 16 seeds on Saturday.

Australian ace Cadby, who was competing in a Euro Tour event for the first time, produced a clinical display to thrash Dutch newcomer Wessel Nijman.

“I’ve been the underdog for a while but I’m thankful to be playing here in front of this amazing crowd,” said Cadby, who will face Michael Smith in the Second Round.

“I can’t wait to get back out here tomorrow against Michael, bring him on. I’ve beaten him on the two occasions we’ve met and I’m ready for a third.”

Three-time Lakeside Champion Glen Durrant produced an outstanding 110 average in his 6-1 rout of Sweden’s Daniel Larsson to set up a show-down with Gerwyn Price.

At the start of play, 11 players harboured hopes of forcing their way into qualifying positions for the Betfred World Matchplay ahead of Sunday’s qualification cut-off.

Keegan Brown took a huge step towards a third Winter Gardens appearance with a 6-0 whitewash of Czech Qualifier Ondrej Plsek; a result which ended Kyle Anderson’s hopes of making it to Blackpool.

World Cup finalist William O’Connor must reach the Quarter-Finals if he is to snatch a Matchplay place, and he too got off to the best possible start with a 6-0 success over another Host Nation Qualifier – Vaclav Shieferdecker.

Dutchman Ron Meulenkamp is tasked with reaching the Semi-Finals in his bid for Blackpool and kept his hopes alive with a 6-2 win over Czech debutant Jan Hlavacek.

Evetts celebrates an impressive scalp (Photo by Jonas Hunold/PDC Europe)

Jamie Hughes, Ted Evetts and Justin Pipe are all required to land the £25,000 top prize if they are to qualify for the biggest event of the summer

Hughes overcame Devon Petersen 6-4, while Pipe saw off Latvia’s Madars Razma by the same scoreline and Evetts claimed an impressive scalp of Polish number one Krzysztof Ratajski with a 97 average and five 180s in a 6-3 triumph.

World Cup star Karel Sedlacek was the sole Czech representative to make it through to Round Two as he edged out Brendan Dolan in a last-leg, ending the Northern Irishman’s World Matchplay hopes in the process.

Robert Thornton, Rowby-John Rodriguez and Razma were the other three players to see their feint Blackpool hopes extinguished with defeats at the hands of Stephen Bunting, Andrew Gilding and Pipe respectively.

Danish Open finalist Chris Dobey got his campaign off to a 6-2 winning start over Poland’s Sebastian Steyer, while Dutch pair Jermaine Wattimena and Danny Noppert were comfortable winners over Kevin Garcia and Stefan Bellmont respectively.

WATCH THE CZECH DARTS OPEN STREAMED LIVE HERE