Nordic Darts Masters 2022 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The second staging of the Nordic Darts Masters gets under way in Copenhagen on Friday as the PDC representatives and regional qualifiers collide.
A selection of the sport’s biggest names return to Forum Copenhagen, with eight PDC stars joined in the field by eight Nordic & Baltic representatives.
Michael van Gerwen claimed the inaugural title last September with victory over Fallon Sherrock in the final, and the world number three begins his title defence with a tie against the top ranked Finnish thrower – Marko Kantele.
Van Gerwen, winner of 16 World Series titles, was beaten 8-4 by Michael Smith in the final of the US Masters in New York last Saturday and will be keen to go one better and warm up for next Monday’s Premier League play-offs in dream fashion.
Former PDC Tour Card holder Kantele has appeared in four previous PDC World Championships at Ally Pally, as well as the last seven consecutive stagings of the World Cup of Darts.
Meanwhile, man of the moment Michael Smith aims to continue his blistering winning streak when he comes up against Denmark’s Vladimir Andersen in Round One.
Smith followed up his Premier League Night 16 triumph in Newcastle by claiming the Dutch Darts Championship title, and the world number four then added the US Masters crown at Madison Square Garden the following weekend to complete a memorable hat-trick.
He opens up with a clash against new Tour Card holder Andersen – who came through European Qualifying School in January and notably reached the Last 32 of a Players Championship event in April.
Last year’s beaten finalist Fallon Sherrock looks to bounce back from a disappointing display in New York last week when she meets world number 43 Darius Labanauskas.
Sherrock was the only PDC representative to fall at the first hurdle at MSG, losing 6-2 to Leonard Gates with an average of just 71.4.
The Grand Slam quarter-finalist is tasked with an even tougher opening assignment upon her return to Copenhagen, with Lithuanian star Labanauskas having previous reached the Last Eight of both the BDO and PDC World Championships.
The opening match of the night sees world number nine Dimitri Van den Bergh mark his first World Series outing of the year with a tie against TV debutant Benjamin Drue Reus – one of three Danish darters aiming to cause an upset on home soil.
Six-time World Series event winner Gary Anderson starts out against Swedish number one Daniel Larsson – a former Tour Card holder and multiple World Championship and World Cup of Darts participant.
World number one and current World Champion Peter Wright takes on TV debutant Matthias Örn Friôriksson – the first Icelandic player to feature in a PDC World Series event.
Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price, semi-finalist in New York last weekend, faces 47-year-old Danish veteran Brian Løkken – a former BDO World Championship qualifier making his World Series debut.
Former World Series Finals winner James Wade faces a tricky opening test against Latvian star Madars Razma – a former ProTour event finalist who registered a 108 average on the European Tour in April.
The action gets under way from 6pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
WATCH DAY ONE OF THE NORDIC DARTS MASTERS STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
Nordic Darts Masters 2022 Day One Schedule of Play
All times BST (local time one hour ahead)
Friday June 10
First Round
6.15pm Dimitri Van den Bergh v Benjamin Drue Reus
6.45pm Gary Anderson v Daniel Larsson
7.15pm James Wade v Madars Razma
7.45pm Fallon Sherrock v Darius Labanauskas
8.15pm Gerwyn Price v Brian Løkken
8.45pm Michael Smith v Vladimir Andersen
9.15pm Peter Wright v Matthias Örn Friôriksson
9.45pm Michael van Gerwen v Marko Kantele
