UK Open Darts 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 UK Open gets under way in Minehead on Friday with the opening four rounds to be contested across eight stages.
The historic event known as ‘The FA Cup of Darts’ returns to the Butlins Minehead Resort from March 3-5 as 158 players compete for a record prize fund of £600,000.
Round One is comprised of the Tour Card Holders ranked from 97-128 along with the top eight players from the 2022 Challenge Tour and Development Tour, plus a further 16 amateur qualifiers.
First Round winners will then be joined by Tour Card Holders ranked 65-96 in Round Two, with the 32 Second Round winners accompanied by Tour Card Holders ranked 33-64 in Round Three.
The world’s top 32 enter the event in Friday evening’s Fourth Round, including reigning champion Danny Noppert, World Champion Michael Smith, world number two Gerwyn Price and former UK Open champions Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, James Wade, Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall and Raymond van Barneveld.
Notable First Round draws include reigning JDC World Champion Luke Littler up against two-time Challenge Tour event winner Nick Fullwell.
Littler qualified for his televised PDC debut on the day of his 16th birthday at the Rileys Chorlton qualifier in January and has already sampled the big stage, having competed in the 2022 WDF World Championship at Lakeside.
Former Lakeside Champion Jelle Klaasen, the 2022 Dutch Open champion and current WDF number one, takes on two-time ProTour event winner Josh Payne.
WDF world finalist Thibault Tricole opens up against former PDC Tour Card holder James Richardson – who came through the Rileys Chester qualifier, with former Lakeside Champion Richie Burnett awaiting the winner.
Joshua Richardson will look to claim family bragging rights by bettering his father’s run in the event, and he starts out against 19-year-old Polish star Sebastian Białecki – who enjoyed a sensational run to the Quarter-Finals 12 months ago.
The Stage Two action also sees Germany’s Lukas Wenig take on former World Matchplay semi-finalist Jeffrey de Zwaan and Welsh ace Robert Owen face Dutch youngster Gian van Veen – who reached the final of a ProTour event last November.
Former World Youth champion Arron Monk has been drawn to face Danish Tour Card holder Vladimir Andersen, while former World Championship semi-finalist Andy Jenkins meets PDC newcomer Adam Warner.
Former World Masters winner Adam Smith-Neale takes on Suffolk star Stephen Burton – who reached the Last 16 of the Players Championship Finals at this venue in 2018.
Confirmed Second Round ties include former BDO and WDF world semi-finalist Richard Veenstra against Scotland’s Jamie Clark, former ProTour event winner Danny Jansen versus former World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks and America’s Jules van Dongen against Dutch youngster Kevin Doets.
An all Northern Ireland clash sees former World Youth finalist Nathan Rafferty face veteran Kevin Burness, while Spain’s Jose Justicia plays former ProTour event winner Mickey Mansell and Polish pair Radek Szagański and Krzysztof Kciuk go head-to-head.
Third Round fixtures include 2014 UK Open champion Adrian Lewis up against former ProTour winner Joe Murnan and former World Cup of Darts finalist William O’Connor facing former European Tour event winner Devon Petersen.
World Youth champion and ProTour event winner Josh Rock aims to register his first win at the UK Open by overcoming world number 48 Luke Woodhouse on the Main Stage.
Belgian 180 machine Mike De Decker meets former World Championship quarter-finalist Ryan Joyce, while former Czech Open champion Jamie Hughes aims to continue his strong start to the season when he faces German ace Florian Hempel.
The likes of Simon Whitlock, Scott Williams, Jim Williams, Mensur Suljovic, Ian White and Steve Beaton will also enter at the Third Round stage.
At the conclusion of the Third Round, an open draw will be made live on the Main Stage for the evening’s Fourth Round.
The action gets under way from 11am on the outer stages (11.45am main stage), with First Round, Second Round and Third Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs, while Fourth Round ties are best of 19.
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UK Open 2023 Day One Schedule
Friday March 3
Afternoon Session (11am, Main Stage from 11.45am)
Main Stage
Luke Littler v Nick Fullwell (R1)
Jelle Klaasen v Josh Payne (R1)
Danny Jansen v Bradley Brooks (R2)
Connor Scutt v Jimmy Hendriks (R2)
James Richardson/Tricole v Richie Burnett (R2)
Keegan Brown v Girvan/Zonneveld (R2)
Adrian Lewis v Joe Murnan (R3)
Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Montgomery/Jenkins/Warner v Simon Whitlock (R3)
Stage Two
Gian van Veen v Robert Owen (R1)
James Richardson v Thibault Tricole (R1)
Lukas Wenig v Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki v Joshua Richardson (R1)
Jules van Dongen v Kevin Doets (R2)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Littler/Fullwell (R2)
Matt Campbell v Van Trijp/Holt (R2)
Labre/Klose v Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Florian Hempel v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Boris Krcmar v Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Steve Beaton v Scutt/Hendriks (R3)
Scott Williams v Klaasen/Payne/Pietreczko (R3)
Stage Three
Jurjen van der Velde v Brett Claydon (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Christian Kist (R1)
Arron Monk v Vladimir Andersen (R1)
Dan Read v Callum Loose (R1)
Jose Justicia v Mickey Mansell (R2)
Cameron Menzies v Moston/Neyens (R2)
Ted Evetts v McEwan/Lauby (R2)
L Gurney/Pilgrim v Burton/Smith-Neale (R2)
William O’Connor v Devon Petersen (R3)
Lewy Williams v Jansen/Brooks (R3)
Van Dongen/Doets v Szaganski/Kciuk (R3)
Labre/Klose/Vandenbogaerde v Adam Gawlas (R3)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Littler/Fullwell v Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
Stage Four
Conor Heneghan v Daniel Lee (R1)
Graham Hall v Jeffrey Sparidaans (R1)
Jacques Labre v Daniel Klose (R1)
Karel Sedlacek v Harry Lane (R1)
Luc Peters v James Wilson (R2)
Damian Mol v Davey/L Evans (R2)
Read/Loose v Brian Raman (R2)
Bialecki/Joshua Richardson v White/Roelofs (R2)
Ryan Joyce v Mike De Decker (R3)
Menzies/Moston/Neyens v Ian White (R3)
Jim Williams v Van Veen/Owen/Waites (R3)
Slevin/Kuivenhoven/Wilkinson v Monk/Andersen/Goffin/Knops (R3)
Stage Five
Andy Jenkins v Adam Warner (R1)
Noel Grant v Graham Usher (R1)
Nathan Girvan v Niels Zonneveld (R1)
Michael Flynn v Jonathan Wynn (R1)
Richard Veenstra v Jamie Clark (R2)
Taylor/Webster v Tony Martinez (R2)
Heneghan/Lee v Rupprecht/Kenny (R2)
Hall/Sparidaans v Thomas Banks (R2)
Martijn Kleermaker v Steve Lennon (R3)
Martin Lukeman v Read/Loose/Raman (R3)
Madars Razma v Cole/Van der Wal/Killington (R3)
James Richardson/Tricole/Burnett v Van der Velde/Claydon/R Huybrechts (R3)
Stage Six
Callum Goffin v Robbie Knops (R1)
Pascal Rupprecht v Nick Kenny (R1)
Jarred Cole v Jitse Van der Wal (R1)
Jim McEwan v Danny Lauby (R1)
Kevin Burness v Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Grant/Usher v John O’Shea (R2)
Wenig/De Zwaan v Nentjes/Kist (R2)
Klaasen/Payne v Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Justicia/Mansell (R3)
Keane Barry v Mol/Davey/L Evans (R3)
Jeff Smith v Campbell/Van Trijp/Holt (R3)
Flynn/Wynn/Sedlacek/Lane v L Gurney/Pilgrim/Burton/Smith-Neale (R3)
Stage Seven
Jim Moston v Kenny Neyens (R1)
Dylan Slevin v Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)
Gary Davey v Lee Evans (R1)
Danny van Trijp v Christopher Holt (R1)
Radek Szaganski v Krzysztof Kciuk (R2)
Van Veen/Owen v Scott Waites (R2)
Van der Velde/Claydon v Ronny Huybrechts (R2)
Flynn/Wynn v Sedlacek/Lane (R2)
Ryan Meikle v Burness/Rafferty (R3)
Andrew Gilding v Taylor/Webster/Martinez (R3)
Brown/Girvan/Zonneveld v Darius Labanauskas (R3)
Evetts/McEwan/Lauby v Bialecki/Joshua Richardson/S White/Roelofs (R3)
Stage Eight
Dom Taylor v Darren Webster (R1)
Lewis Gurney v Darryl Pilgrim (R1)
Stuart White v Owen Roelofs (R1)
Stephen Burton v Adam Smith-Neale (R1)
Ross Montgomery v Jenkins/Warner (R2)
Slevin/Kuivenhoven v Shaun Wilkinson (R2)
Cole/Van der Wal v George Killington (R2)
Monk/Andersen v Goffin/Knops (R2)
Veenstra/Clark v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)
Ricky Evans v Grant/Usher/O’Shea (R3)
Wenig/De Zwaan/Nentjes/Kist v Peters/Wilson (R3)
Hall/Sparidaans/Banks v Heneghan/Lee/Rupprecht/Kenny (R3)
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Fourth Round matches
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