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Dutch Darts Masters 2025 | Draw, Results & Schedule of Play

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Jermaine Wattimena stuns Luke Humphries at the Dutch Darts Masters as Van Barneveld dumps out Dobey

Dutch Darts Masters 2025 | Day One Preview and Order of Play

Jamie Shaw in Dutch Darts Masters 24 Jan 2025
Luke Littler and Van den Bergh go head-to-head (Photo credit: Stephen Parker/www.photosport.nz)

The 2025 Dutch Darts Masters begins in Den Bosch on Friday as the seeded stars aim to avoid an early exit.

The second World Series event of the season sees eight PDC stars joined by eight Benelux representatives as they compete for the title at Maaspoort Den Bosch.

One of eight tasty ties on opening night sees reigning champion Michael van Gerwen launch the defence of his title with a clash against Dutch compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Van Gerwen’s only televised title of 2024 came at this event 12 months ago when he defeated Luke Littler in the final to secure an emotional triumph on home soil.

Van Gerwen is the most successful player in the history of the World Series, having racked up 21 titles since 2013, and the three-time World Champion is making his first competitive appearance since his defeat to Littler in the World Championship final three weeks ago.

Van Duijvenbode finished runner-up in the inaugural Dutch Masters in 2022 and also went on to finish runner-up in the World Series Finals later that year.

Now ranked world number 26, Van Duijvenbode enjoyed a welcome return to form last season, reaching the semi-finals of the Players Championship Finals last November.

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Littler launches his quest to go one better than his runner-up spot here last year when he takes on former champion Dimitri van den Bergh.

Littler, who celebrated his 18th birthday earlier this week, saw his first competitive outing as World Champion end in a quarter-final defeat to Gerwyn Price at the Bahrain Masters a week ago despite averaging 105.

The Nuke opens up against Belgian number one Van den Bergh – whom he defeated 6-4 in the quarter-finals of last year’s New Zealand Masters.

Van den Bergh won the inaugural Dutch Masters in 2022 and enjoyed a terrific 2024 season – claiming the UK Open title and reaching the semi-finals of The Masters and the World Grand Prix.

World number one Luke Humphries commences his latest pursuit of a second World Series title with a tie against resurgent Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena.

Humphries’ maiden World Series silverware came at the New Zealand Masters last August in a season which saw him lift the World Matchplay trophy for the first time and retain the Players Championship Finals crown.

Humphries, who saw his reign as World Champion ended in the Last 16 by Peter Wright, was narrowly beaten 7-6 by Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals in Bahrain last time out.

Wattimena reached his first major final at the European Championship last October, losing out to Ritchie Edhouse, and will be out to avenge his whitewash defeat at the hands of Humphries in Round One here 12 months ago.

Man of the moment Stephen Bunting begins his bid for back-to-back World Series titles with a showdown against home favourite Gian van Veen.

Bunting marked his long-awaited return to the World Series with a terrific triumph in Bahrain, and ‘The Bullet’ will be keen to pick up from where he left off and continue his preparation for his Masters title defence next week.

Van Veen enjoyed a fine run to the semi-finals of this event last year and became World Youth Champion in 2024 during a landmark campaign which also saw him reach a European Tour final.

Gerwyn Price looks to continue the resurgent form he showcased in Bahrain when he comes up against Dutch star Danny Noppert.

Price made it four final appearances on the World Series inside 12 months and notably averaged 115.3 in dethroning Littler along the way in Bahrain.

Semi-finalist here 12 months ago, Price has produced arguably his most consistent performances on the World Series over the past 12 months but faces a tough opener against a fellow top 16 star.

Former UK Open champion Noppert was runner-up in the 2019 World Series Finals and claimed a Players Championship title last season, but will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Last 64 exit at the World Championship.

Premier League star Chris Dobey aims to silence the partisan Dutch crowd when he faces five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld.

Dobey, who reached the semi-finals of the World Championship for the first time, was whitewashed by an imperious Bunting in Bahrain and will be determined to spoil the party in Den Bosch.

Van Barneveld defeated Rob Cross in Round One here last year before being edged out 6-5 by Van Gerwen, and he returns looking to bounce back from a shock Last 64 defeat to Nick Kenny at the World Championship.

Cross, a four-time World Series event winner, kicks off the night’s action with a tie against Richard Veenstra.

Cross, who was beaten by Scott Williams in Round Two of the World Championship, also suffered a shock First Round exit to Paolo Nebrida at the Bahrain Masters.

World number 47 Veenstra has won both of his previous meetings with ‘Voltage’ and is eyeing a memorable debut win on home soil.

Two-time major winner Nathan Aspinall aims to avoid a potential scalp at the hands of emerging Dutch star Kevin Doets.

Aspinall averaged just shy of 102 in a narrow 6-5 defeat to Humphries in the quarter-finals in Bahrain, missing a match dart in the process.

Doets starts the season as world number 41 following a superb run to the Last 16 of the World Championship which included wins over Michael Smith and Krzysztof Ratajski.

The action gets under way from 6pm GMT, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.

WATCH THE DUTCH DARTS MASTERS STREAMED LIVE HERE

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Dutch Darts Masters 2025 Day One Schedule

All times GMT (local time +1 hour)

Friday January 24

First Round

6pm-10pm
Rob Cross v Richard Veenstra
Nathan Aspinall v Kevin Doets
Stephen Bunting v Gian van Veen
Chris Dobey v Raymond van Barneveld
Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries v Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Luke Littler v Dimitri Van den Bergh