Austrian Darts Open 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 Austrian Darts Open gets under way in Premstätten on Friday as the qualifiers collide in the opening round.
The fifth of 13 Euro Tour events this season features 48 players battling it out for £175,000 in prize money at the Steiermarkhalle from April 21-23.
The top 16 players from the ProTour Order of Merit (as of March 7) are seeded and enter at the Second Round stage, while 32 qualifiers battle it out for the right to join them.
Fresh from picking up a first Players Championship title of the season last weekend, Krzysztof Ratajski opens up with a tie against Dutch youngster Owen Roelofs in the afternoon session.
Four-time Challenge Tour event winner Cameron Menzies faces a tricky opener against emerging German star Ricardo Pietreczko – who reached the Quarter-Finals of the recent European Darts Open.
Former World Cup of Darts winner John Henderson returns to the Euro Tour as an Associate Member qualifier and will face Irish starlet Dylan Slevin.
Former World Matchplay semi-finalist Jeffrey De Zwaan meets Host Nation qualifier Hannes Schnier, while Luke Woodhouse faces another home hopeful in Marcus Haider.
Madars Razma kicks off the day’s action against Welshman Nick Kenny, before former ProTour event winner Mickey Mansell plays Nordic & Baltic qualifier Dmitrijs Žukovs of Latvia.
Former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks starts out against methodical Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven, while former ProTour finalist Matt Campbell and a resurgent Ian White raise the curtain on the evening’s fixtures.
The evening session also features a clash between five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld and multiple ranking event winner Brendan Dolan – with both chasing a spot in July’s World Matchplay.
Kim Huybrechts, winner of a Players Championship event earlier this season, starts out against former European Champion and reigning World Cup of Darts champion Simon Whitlock.
Home hero Mensur Suljovic, a three-time Euro Tour event winner, is set for a rapturous reception when he steps out to face former Euro Tour finalist Ricky Evans.
Suljovic’s World Cup team-mate Rowby-John Rodriguez will also aim to delight his home crowd by overcoming six-time Development Tour event winner Ryan Meikle.
Masters champion and Premier League star Chris Dobey returns to action just 24 hours after his defeat to Jonny Clayton in Rotterdam as he takes on Czech qualifier Vitezslav Sedlak.
Former Lakeside Champion Jelle Klaasen marks his first Euro Tour appearance of the year as an Associate Member qualifier with a tie against two-time Euro Tour finalist William O’Connor.
Two-time major champion Daryl Gurney looks to turn his recent fortunes around starting against former Lakeside Champion Stephen Bunting – who qualified via the Reserve List after Jim Williams withdrew.
The action gets under way from 12pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
WATCH THE AUSTRIAN DARTS OPEN STREAMED LIVE HERE
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Austrian Darts Open 2023 Day One Schedule
All times BST (Local time one hour ahead)
Friday April 21
First Round
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Nick Kenny v Madars Razma
Dmitrijs Zukovs v Mickey Mansell
Owen Roelofs v Krzysztof Ratajski
Cameron Menzies v Ricardo Pietreczko
Marcus Haider v Luke Woodhouse
Maik Kuivenhoven v Bradley Brooks
Jeffrey De Zwaan v Hannes Schnier
John Henderson v Dylan Slevin
Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Matt Campbell v Ian White
William O’Connor v Jelle Klaasen
Kim Huybrechts v Simon Whitlock
Brendan Dolan v Raymond van Barneveld
Ryan Meikle v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Daryl Gurney v Stephen Bunting
Vitezslav Sedlak v Chris Dobey
Ricky Evans v Mensur Suljovic
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