UK Open Darts 2023 | Day Three Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 UK Open reaches an unmissable climax in Minehead on Sunday as the final eight face off for the right to be crowned champion.
Friday morning saw 158 players descend on the Butlins Minehead Resort, now just eight remain in the hunt for the record £110,000 top prize.
With play having been held across eight stages during the first two days of the unique multi-board event, focus now shifts solely to the Main Stage, with the afternoon’s Quarter-Finals followed in the evening by the Semi-Finals and final.
Michael van Gerwen comes into the final day of action as the favourite to claim a fourth UK Open crown and open his account for 2023.
Van Gerwen lifted this trophy in 2015, 2016 and 2020 and is out to follow up his back-to-back weekly titles in the Premier League by securing what would be a 46th major title.
The world number three overcame last weekend’s Baltic Sea Darts Open champion Dave Chisnall 10-8 in his opener, before reeling off seven straight legs from 6-3 down to overcome his compatriot Martijn Kleermaker and going on to thrash 2021 finalist Luke Humphries 10-4 with a 104 average.
The Dutchman has been handed another testing draw in the shape of fellow Premier League star Nathan Aspinall – who has rekindled his love affair with this event.
Aspinall came into the tournament having not won a match here since lifting this trophy in 2019 and will be out to avenge Thursday’s Semi-Final defeat to MVG in Exeter, having seen off Alan Soutar, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Joe Cullen so far.
Rob Cross was the man beaten by Aspinall in the 2019 final, and ‘Voltage’ continues his quest to go a step further this time around when he meets Czech youngster Adam Gawlas.
Cross, runner-up in January’s Masters, has performed strongly on the outside boards to reach the final day of action, edging out two-time champion Raymond van Barneveld in a deciding leg, before brushing aside Steve Beaton 10-3 and overcoming Jeffrey de Zwaan 10-7.
Gawlas has already broken new ground by becoming the first Czech player to reach the Quarter-Finals of a televised PDC ranking event and will be keen to extend his historic run.
The 21-year-old started out in Round Three with a 6-4 win over Mario Vandenbogaerde, before ending the debut run of 16-year-old Luke Littler and going on to dispatch Kevin Doets and William O’Connor on the outside stages.
Richie Burnett has rolled back the years to become arguably the stand-out story of the tournament so far, and the enigmatic 56-year-old aims to continue his resurgent run at the expense of former World Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh.
Burnett, the 1995 Lakeside World Champion, is appearing in his first PDC major Quarter-Final in nine years, having registered five wins across the weekend so far.
The Welsh veteran began in Round Two by defeating James Richardson 6-2, before thrashing Jurjen van der Velde 6-1 and edging out Florian Hempel in a gruelling 19th leg decider.
He then repeated that feat against Ted Evetts, before sensationally knocking out 2017 champion Peter Wright 10-8 on the Main Stage on Saturday night.
Standing in the way of ‘The Prince of Wales’ and a place in the evening’s Semi-Finals is Premier League star Van den Bergh – who is appearing at this stage of the competition for the second time, following wins over Gabriel Clemens, Mervyn King and 2018 champion Gary Anderson.
The Belgian is bidding to reach his sixth televised ranking Semi-Final, with his sole major title to date having come behind closed doors at the 2020 World Matchplay.
The opening Quarter-Final tie features two rank outsiders looking to continue their terrific runs as Martin Schindler faces Andrew Gilding.
Schindler has created a slice of personal history by reaching his first major ranking Quarter-Final this weekend and is flying the flag for the darting hotbed of Germany.
The 26-year-old has seen off a trio of former major champions in Simon Whitlock, Adrian Lewis and Jonny Clayton along the way.
Gilding, meanwhile, is no stranger to featuring at this stage of the UK Open, having last done so in 2015 when he went on to make the Semi-Finals.
The 52-year-old is closing in on a place in the world’s top 32, having gone quietly and efficiently about his business on the outer boards to knock out Darren Webster, Ricky Evans, Luke Woodhouse and Brendan Dolan.
Following the conclusion of the Quarter-Finals, the draw will be made live on stage for the evening’s Semi-Finals.
The action gets under way from 12.45pm GMT, with Quarter-Final ties to be contested over the best of 19 legs, while the Semi-Finals and final are best of 21.
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UK Open 2023 Day Three Schedule
Sunday March 5
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-7pm)
Quarter-Finals
Andrew Gilding v Martin Schindler
Michael van Gerwen v Nathan Aspinall
Rob Cross v Adam Gawlas
Richie Burnett v Dimitri van den Bergh
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Final
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