Dutch Darts Championship 2022 | Day One Preview and Order of Play

The 2022 Dutch Darts Championship gets under way in Zwolle on Friday as the qualifiers collide in Round One.

The eighth of 13 PDC Euro Tour events this season features 48 players battling it out for £140,000 in prize money at the IJsselhallen from May 27-29.

The top 16 players from the ProTour Order of Merit (as of April 30) are seeded and enter at the Second Round stage, while 32 qualifiers battle it out for the right to join them.

The afternoon session sees former Lakeside World Champion Jelle Klaasen take on Polish teenager Sebastian Bialecki as both make their second European Tour appearances of the season.

Klaasen was one of three players to have come through Thursday’s Host Nation qualifier and was joined by Wesley Plaisier – who reached the Quarter-Finals of the German Grand Prix in April before losing out to eventual champion Luke Humphries.

Plaisier will face a resurgent Andrew Gilding on home soil, while fellow Host Nation qualifier Arjan Konterman faces Dutch compatriot and reigning UK Open champion Danny Noppert in the evening session.

Jim Williams, a former BDO world finalist and winner of a ProTour event this season, starts out against three-time Challenge Tour event winner Ritchie Edhouse.

Croatia’s Boris Krcmar kicks off the competition with a tie against former World Cup of Darts finalist Steve Lennon, while two-time BDO World Champion Scott Waites faces a tricky opener against emerging star Connor Scutt.

Former ProTour event winner Ross Smith takes on Northern Ireland’s Kevin Burness – who regained a Tour Card at Qualifying School in January.

Sweden’s Daniel Larsson meets Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde, while Scotland’s Andy Boulton faces six-time Development Tour winner Ryan Meikle.

The evening session features an all-Dutch clash between crowd favourite Vincent van der Voort and new kid on the block – Danny Jansen – who has already captured a ProTour title in his debut season on the tour.

World Championship quarter-finalist Callan Rydz aims to put his below-par form on the Euro Tour behind him when he comes up against the quick-fire Martijn Kleermaker.

Former European Champion Simon Whitlock marks his return to Euro Tour action with a tie against former Czech Open winner Jamie Hughes, while former European Grand Prix winner Mervyn King plays Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont.

Two-time Euro Tour event winner Dave Chisnall has been handed a tough opener against Latvia’s Madars Razma, while a resurgent Mickey Mansell aims to deny home hopeful Niels Zonneveld.

The action gets under way from 12pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.

WATCH DAY ONE OF THE DUTCH DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)

Dutch Darts Championship 2022 Day One Schedule of Play

All times BST (Local time one hour ahead)

Friday May 27

First Round

Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Boris Krcmar v Steve Lennon
Jim Williams v Ritchie Edhouse
Andy Boulton v Ryan Meikle
Connor Scutt v Scott Waites
Kevin Burness v Ross Smith
Andrew Gilding v Wesley Plaisier
Daniel Larsson v Mario Vandenbogaerde
Sebastian Bialecki v Jelle Klaasen

Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Mickey Mansell v Niels Zonneveld
Jermaine Wattimena v Rene Eidams
Stefan Bellmont v Mervyn King
Simon Whitlock v Jamie Hughes
Martijn Kleermaker v Callan Rydz
Danny Noppert v Arjan Konterman
Danny Jansen v Vincent van der Voort
Dave Chisnall v Madars Razma