Grand Slam of Darts 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 Grand Slam of Darts gets under way in Wolverhampton on Saturday with the opening batch of group fixtures.
The 32-player field is comprised of televised tournament winners and finalists from over the past 12 months, as well as a series of qualifiers from the PDC circuit and affiliate tours.
Players are initially split into eight groups, with the top two from each group following the round-robin phase progressing to the knock-out stages.
A blockbuster opening day at the Aldersley Leisure Village features a host of tasty ties, with each player hoping to hit the ground running by picking up two points at the first time of asking.
The afternoon session sees Gerwyn Price launch his quest for a fourth Grand Slam title against qualifier Nathan Rafferty in Group D.
Price has proved the dominant force since the event moved to the Aldersley Leisure Village, winning three of the last five stagings, and has secured a second World Cup of Darts title this year, while finishing runner-up in both the Premier League and the World Grand Prix.
Northern Ireland’s Rafferty came through the Tour Card holder qualifier last week to clinch a third consecutive appearance in this event and notably reached the Last 16 on debut in 2021.
A fascinating Group D also houses world number 16 Ryan Searle and recent European Championship semi-finalist Gian van Veen – who go head-to-head in an unmissable clash.
One of the stand-out ties of the day sees reigning World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall take on reigning Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves in Group H.
Aspinall was beaten in the final here 12 months ago and is looking to go a step further on his return, but faces a tricky start against the current Women’s World Champion who has also dominated the PDC Women’s Series this year.
The other fixture in Group H sees world number 13 Damon Heta take on German star Ricardo Pietreczko – who claimed his first European Tour title at the German Championship last month.
Josh Rock, who landed a sensational nine-darter in his debut Grand Slam campaign in 2022, opens up with a tie against Masters champion Chris Dobey in Group B.
Dobey has reached the Quarter-Finals in each of the last three televised ranking majors, while Rock has suffered First Round exits in each of his last three.
Group B also features a show-down between World Cup winner Jonny Clayton and the returning Berry van Peer.
Clayton was runner-up in July’s World Matchplay and his making his sixth Grand Slam appearance, while Van Peer returns to the event for the first time since 2017 – when he defied dartitis to win through to the knock-out phase.
Group F commences with a tie between UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and Brendan Dolan – who came through the Tour Card holder qualifier to secure a sixth Grand Slam appearance since 2011.
Meanwhile, world number seven Danny Noppert meets Japanese debutant Haruki Muramatsu – winner of this year’s PDC Asian Championship.
The evening session sees Michael van Gerwen begin his pursuit of a fourth Grand Slam crown with a Group G fixture against Fallon Sherrock.
Premier League champion Van Gerwen has fallen at the Quarter-Final hurdle in each of his last three Grand Slam appearances and will be determined to end his drought at the Aldersley Leisure Village, with his most recent triumph coming at the Wolves Civic in 2017.
Sherrock famously ran MVG close in the final of the 2021 Nordic Masters and was a quarter-finalist on her Grand Slam debut that year, defeating Mike De Decker, Gabriel Clemens and Mensur Suljovic before eventually losing out 16-13 to Peter Wright.
Group G also includes a show-down between 2018 World Champion Rob Cross – twice a World Series event winner this year – and Dutch debutant Martijn Kleermaker.
World number one and World Champion Michael Smith is housed in Group A and will start out against Scottish debutant Nathan Girvan.
Smith famously ended his wait for a maiden major title here 12 months ago and is bidding become only the fourth player to successfully defend this crown.
Girvan, 21, was runner-up to Josh Rock in last year’s World Youth Championship and is also a two-time BDO World Youth runner-up.
Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam finalist James Wade faces Polish number one Krzysztof Ratajski.
Wade enjoyed a resurgent run to the final of the recent European Championship and is back among the world’s top 16, while Ratajski qualified courtesy of his German Darts Open triumph in September.
Group C includes a tasty tussle between two-time World Champion Gary Anderson and former World Grand Prix finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Anderson has enjoyed a terrific season away from the TV cameras, picking up three Players Championship titles, and returns after missing the Grand Slam last year for the first time since the event began.
Van Duijvenbode’s trio of Players Championship titles secured his place in the event for the third time, but the Dutchman has struggled with injury in recent months, suffering back-to-back First Round exits at the World Grand Prix and European Championship.
A formidable Group C also sees World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries, semi-finalist here 12 months ago, taking on Irish ace Steve Lennon – who progressed through last week’s qualifier to clinch a third appearance.
Group E, branded by many as the ‘group of death’, kicks off with a tie between 2014 Grand Slam finalist Dave Chisnall – a winner of three Euro Tour title this year – and former Lakeside Champion Stephen Bunting – runner-up in this year’s German Darts Open.
Newly-crowned European Champion Peter Wright, Grand Slam runner-up in 2017, 2019 and 2021, opens up against American newcomer Stowe Buntz – winner of this year’s CDC Continental Cup.
The action gets under way from 1pm GMT, with all Group Stage matches to be contested over the best of nine legs.
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Grand Slam of Darts 2023 Day One Schedule
Saturday November 11
Group Stage
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Damon Heta v Ricardo Pietreczko (H)
Andrew Gilding v Brendan Dolan (F)
Ryan Searle v Gian van Veen (D)
Chris Dobey v Josh Rock (B)
Danny Noppert v Haruki Muramatsu (F)
Nathan Aspinall v Beau Greaves (H)
Jonny Clayton v Berry van Peer (B)
Gerwyn Price v Nathan Rafferty (D)
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
James Wade v Krzysztof Ratajski (A)
Rob Cross v Martijn Kleermaker (G)
Dave Chisnall v Stephen Bunting (E)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Gary Anderson (C)
Luke Humphries v Steve Lennon (C)
Peter Wright v Stowe Buntz (E)
Michael van Gerwen v Fallon Sherrock (G)
Michael Smith v Nathan Girvan (A)
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