Peter Wright returns to the winner’s circle at the Nordic Darts Masters
Peter Wright picked up his first televised title for more than a year at the Nordic Darts Masters with a crushing win over Gerwyn Price in the final in Copenhagen.
Wright endured a difficult 2022 after claiming his second World Championship title, but returned to winning ways in encouraging fashion to claim a fourth World Series title on Saturday.
He followed up Friday’s narrow First Round win over Dennis Nilsson at Forum Copenhagen by going all the way to a deciding leg again in his Quarter-Final tie with rival Michael van Gerwen.
Having edged a 10-9 win in that contest, he then overcame newly-crowned World Champion Michael Smith 11-8 in the Semi-Finals, ending Bully Boy’s 12-match unbeaten run.
Wright raced into a 4-0 lead before Smith showed his quality to level after ten legs, but the Scot pulled clear in the second half of the game to move into the final.
He also made an outstanding start against Price, finishing 104, 149 and 140 as he stormed into a five-leg lead.
Price took two of the next three with legs of 13 and 14 darts to hit back to 6-2, and after Wright took the next three he fired in checkouts of 140 and 156 to reduce the gap to 9-5.
A missed bullseye, for a 121 finish, allowed Wright to land tops for a 13-darter as he moved a leg away from the title, and another miss from Price – this time at tops – allowed him to post double eight and seal the title.
“It’s lovely when darts go like that – I just felt unbeatable,” admitted Wright. “It doesn’t matter who was in front of me.
“I feel really good. The way I felt, no-one was going to touch me in the final – the darts were flowing.
“Gezzy’s a fantastic player, he was in the final in Bahrain last week and he’s beaten me the last four times I played him so I’ve got one back!
“To beat the best players in the world is brilliant. To be invited to play on the World Series, I’m grateful, and the amazing crowds make the difference.
“Last year was a bit tough so let’s get on it and start winning! This will give me confidence for the Masters next week.”
Price’s run saw him reach a second successive World Series final, after losing out to Smith in the decider in Bahrain last weekend.
The Welshman ended Dimitri Van den Bergh’s title defence with a clinical 10-7 quarter-final win, before coming from 2-0, 6-3 and 9-7 down in the semis to defeat Jonny Clayton 11-10.
“I wasn’t in the final,” admitted Price. “I won five legs but probably should have won one, but Peter was playing fantastic and all credit to him. He was great in the final.
“I was burned out in this one – I just had no fight in me, I sort-of rolled over and had my belly ticked, and Peter won so fair play to him.
“I’ll come good, I’m playing well and doing alright. The fans are fantastic – it’s been great here and in Bahrain.”
Smith’s first defeat as World Champion came in the Last Four against Wright, after he had proved too strong for Luke Humphries earlier in the day.
Clayton was Saturday’s other Quarter-Final winner as he swept aside Rob Cross 10-4, only to miss out narrowly to Welsh rival Price for a second event in a row.
Nordic Darts Masters 2023 Day Two Results
Saturday January 21
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 10-7 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Rob Cross 4-10 Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith 10-7 Luke Humphries
Peter Wright 10-9 Michael van Gerwen
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 11-10 Jonny Clayton
Peter Wright 11-8 Michael Smith
Final
Peter Wright 11-5 Gerwyn Price
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 Nordic Darts Masters draws to a close in Copenhagen on Saturday as the eight PDC stars compete for the title.
Day One of the season’s second World Series event saw the big names all safely progress at Forum Copenhagen, though not without surviving the odd scare along the way.
The tournament reaches its climax on Saturday with the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and final to be held over two unmissable sessions.
The opening Quarter-Final sees reigning champion Dimitri van den Bergh step up the defence of his title with a show-down against former World Champion Gerwyn Price.
Van den Bergh claimed the first of his two World Series titles here last year with a crushing win over Gary Anderson in the final and recently enjoyed a landmark run to his first World Championship Semi-Final.
The Belgian ace averaged 102 in an impressive 6-2 win over Madars Razma on Friday and will be out to inflict successive defeats on Price at this stage of the Nordic Masters, having prevailed 10-5 when the pair met last June.
Reigning World Series Finals winner Price is bidding to go one better than last week’s runner-up spot in Bahrain and began with a ruthless 6-0 whitewash of Danish youngster Benjamin Drue Reus.
The Welshman boasts a strong recent record in the World Series, having reached the final in four of his last five events.
Man of the moment Michael Smith resumes his quest for a third televised title on the spin with a clash against world number five Luke Humphries.
Newly-crowned World Champion Smith picked up from where he left off at Alexandra Palace earlier this month by claiming Bahrain Masters glory a week ago and will be out to extend his emphatic winning run.
He whitewashed Darius Labanauskas on opening night and now meets Humphries in a repeat of their European Championship Quarter-Final last October.
Humphries will have revenge on his mind for that 10-7 defeat in Dortmund and is also aiming to bounce back from squandering a 5-1 lead in an eventual 6-5 defeat to Raymond van Barneveld on his World Series debut in Bahrain last week.
Two familiar rivals lock horns for the first time this year as Michael van Gerwen takes on Peter Wright.
After a pre-planned family holiday following his defeat in the World Championship final, Van Gerwen returns in pursuit of silverware at the first time of asking.
He appeared somewhat rusty in his opening salvo on Friday but managed to close out a 6-3 win over Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson despite a 91.5 average and 19 missed darts at doubles.
The world number three claimed the inaugural Nordic Masters title in 2021 and has racked up a record 17 World Series triumphs in total.
Wright, a three-time World Series event winner, is making his 47th World Series appearance and is looking to catch his rival cold and kick-start an important year in his career.
The two-time World Champion dug deep to seal a narrow 6-5 success over Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson in Round One and victory over MVG would see him reach the Semi-Finals of this event for the first time.
Former World Champion Rob Cross faces former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton in another intriguing Quarter-Final tie.
Cross, whose sole World Series title to date came in Brisbane in 2018, opened up with a commanding 6-1 win over Denmark’s Vladimir Andersen on Friday and is vying to make it back-to-back Semi-Final appearances in as many weeks.
Clayton was beaten by Price in the Quarter-Finals last week, having also reached the Last Eight of the World Championship for the first time at the beginning of the year.
The 2022 New South Wales Masters winner averaged just 84 in a 6-3 win over Daniel Larsson which saw him miss a staggering 21 darts at doubles.
The action gets under way from 12pm GMT, with Quarter-Final matches to be contested over the best of 19 legs and the Semi-Finals and final best of 21.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 Day Two Schedule
All times GMT (local time +1 hour)
Saturday January 21
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Rob Cross v Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith v Luke Humphries
Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Price/Van den Bergh v Cross/Clayton
Smith/Humphries v Wright/Van Gerwen
Final
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The third staging of the Nordic Darts Masters commences in Copenhagen on Friday as the PDC stars and Nordic & Baltic representatives collide.
A selection of the sport’s biggest names return to Forum Copenhagen from January 20-21 for the second World Series event of the year.
The opening round sees the eight PDC representatives (seeded following last week’s Bahrain Masters), each take on a Nordic & Baltic representative.
Man of the moment Michael Smith starts his quest for a third televised title on the spin with a tie against Lithuanian number one – Darius Labanauskas.
Newly-crowned World Champion Smith picked up from where he left off at Alexandra Palace earlier this month by claiming Bahrain Masters glory a week ago and will be out to extend his emphatic winning run.
Smith, who reached the Semi-Finals here last time out, faces a tricky opening test against former World Championship quarter-finalist Labanauskas – who has also hit a nine-darter at Ally Pally.
Michael van Gerwen marks his first competitive appearance of the season with a tie against Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson.
Van Gerwen saw his quest for a fourth world title fall painfully short with defeat to Smith in a classic final just over a fortnight ago and starts his new campaign in search of an 18th World Series success.
The world number three claimed the inaugural Nordic Masters title in 2021 and will be keen to put down a marker by regaining the crown and getting his season off to the perfect start.
Harrysson has competed in both the BDO and WDF World Championships, as well as on the PDC European Tour, and is making his World Series debut.
Reigning champion Dimitri Van den Bergh kicks off the defence of his title with a clash against Latvian star Madars Razma.
Van den Bergh claimed the first of his two World Series titles here last year with a crushing win over Gary Anderson in the final and recently enjoyed a landmark run to his first World Championship Semi-Final.
Razma is no stranger to a scalp on this stage, having defeated Nathan Aspinall in 2021 and enjoyed an impressive 2022 which saw him reach a European Tour Semi-Final and the Quarter-Finals of the World Grand Prix.
Reigning World Series Finals winner Gerwyn Price aims to go one better than last week’s runner-up spot in Bahrain, and he starts out against Denmark’s Benjamin Drue Reus.
Drue Reus was whitewashed 6-0 by Van den Bergh last June and will be determined to give his home crowd something to cheer about this time around.
Two-time World Champion Peter Wright aims to avert a potential scalp at the hands of Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson.
Wright, a three-time World Series event winner, is making his 47th World Series appearance and is looking to play himself back into form ahead of next week’s Masters.
Nilsson, 46, is no stranger to the televised stage, having competed in both the PDC and BDO World Championships, as well as the World Cup of Darts.
World number five Luke Humphries opens up against Finland’s Marko Kantele.
Humphries squandered a 5-1 lead in an eventual 6-5 defeat to Raymond van Barneveld on his World Series debut in Bahrain last week and is on a collision course for a potential Quarter-Final clash with Michael Smith on Saturday.
Kantele is a former PDC Tour Card holder who has made four Ally Pally appearances and has featured in every staging of the World Cup of Darts since 2015.
Jonny Clayton, who picked up the New South Wales Masters title last year, takes on Swedish number one Daniel Larsson.
Clayton was beaten by Price in the Quarter-Finals last week, having also reached the Quarter-Finals of the World Championship for the first time at the beginning of the year.
Larsson, who dropped off the PDC tour at the end of 2021, was beaten in straight sets by Adrian Lewis in the First Round of the recent World Championship.
Former World Champion Rob Cross, whose sole World Series title to date came in Brisbane in 2018, faces Denmark’s Vladimir Andersen – a current Tour Card holder who was beaten 6-2 by Michael Smith here last year.
The action gets under way from 6pm GMT, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 Day One Schedule
All times GMT (local time +1 hour)
Friday January 20
First Round
6pm-10pm
Luke Humphries v Marko Kantele
Jonny Clayton v Daniel Larsson
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Madars Razma
Gerwyn Price v Benjamin Drue Reus
Peter Wright v Dennis Nilsson
Michael Smith v Darius Labanauskas
Rob Cross v Vladimir Andersen
Michael van Gerwen v Andreas Harrysson
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 | Draw, Live Scores and Schedule of Play
The World Series continues in Copenhagen with the 2023 Nordic Darts Masters, and you can follow the latest results and schedule of play here.
The sport’s biggest names return to Forum Copenhagen from January 20-21, with eight PDC representatives joined by eight Nordic & Baltic representatives.
Dimitri van den Bergh is the defending champion after he defeated Gary Anderson 11-5 in last year’s final to claim his first World Series title.
Reigning World Champion Michael Smith is the number one seed as he bids to follow up last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters triumph.
World Series Finals champion Gerwyn Price is seeded number two, while 17-time World Series event winner Michael van Gerwen makes his first appearance of the season.
Former World Champions Peter Wright and Rob Cross also feature, alongside last year’s New South Wales Masters winner Jonny Clayton and world number five Luke Humphries.
The Nordic & Baltic qualifiers are comprised of their three PDC Tour Card holders – Darius Labanauskas, Madars Razma and Vladimir Andersen, plus 2022 PDCNB Order of Merit leaders Daniel Larsson, Marko Kantele, Dennis Nilsson, Andreas Harrysson and Benjamin Drue Reus.
First Round matches are to be contested over the best of 11 legs, while Quarter-Finals are best of 19 and the Semi-Finals and final best of 21.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2023 Schedule
All times GMT (local time +1 hour)
Friday January 20
First Round
6pm-10pm
Luke Humphries 6-1 Marko Kantele
Jonny Clayton 6-3 Daniel Larsson
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Madars Razma
Gerwyn Price 6-0 Benjamin Drue Reus
Peter Wright 6-5 Dennis Nilsson
Michael Smith 6-0 Darius Labanauskas
Rob Cross 6-1 Vladimir Andersen
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Andreas Harrysson
Saturday January 21
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 10-7 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Rob Cross 4-10 Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith 10-7 Luke Humphries
Peter Wright 10-9 Michael van Gerwen
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 11-10 Jonny Clayton
Peter Wright 11-8 Michael Smith
Final
Peter Wright 11-5 Gerwyn Price
Prize Fund & World Series Ranking Points
Winner – £20,000 & 12 points
Runner-Up – £10,000 & 8 points
Semi-Finalists – £5,000 & 5 points
Quarter-Finalists – £2,500 & 3 points
First Round Losers – £1,250 & 1 point
Total – £60,000
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Dimitri van den Bergh claims maiden World Series title at the Nordic Darts Masters
Dimitri Van den Bergh secured his first World Series title at the 2022 Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen with a dominant 11-5 defeat of Gary Anderson in the final.
Appearing in only his eighth World Series event, Van den Bergh emerged victorious to scoop the £20,000 top prize, securing his second senior televised title.
The Belgian star stormed to victory over Anderson in a one-sided final, denying the Scotsman a seventh World Series triumph.
The world number nine capitalised on a nightmare start from Anderson to establish an almost unassailable 8-0 advantage, and though Anderson rallied, he was unable to pull off an extraordinary comeback.
Van den Bergh fired in legs of 12 and 13 darts to seize the early initiative, and a stunning 130 finish in leg five continued the procession.
Anderson’s woes on the outer ring persisted as the Belgian extended his cushion, but the Scot suddenly sparked into life, reeling off four legs of his own to halve the deficit.
Van den Bergh moved to the brink of victory at 10-4 with clinical 86 and 72 combinations, only to spurn three match darts in leg 15, gifting Anderson a temporary reprieve.
However, the 27-year-old made no mistake moments later, following up a fourth 180 with a 14-darter to seal the deal.
“I have dreams. I am chasing my dreams, and winning against a player like Gary – that is going to help me,” said Van den Bergh.
“You know that Gary isn’t going to give it to you, you have to work for it, that’s what I had to do, and I managed to make myself a champion, against a player who is a champion.
“The sky is the limit. Just look at the trophy I’m holding in my hands. I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve managed to make my dreams come true.”
The two-time World Youth champion had opened the tournament on Friday with a whitewash win over Danish youngster Benjamin Drue Reus, setting the tone for a weekend of darting domination.
Van den Bergh averaged 99 in a 10-5 Quarter-Final win over Gerwyn Price, before halting Michael Smith’s bid for successive World Series titles with an emphatic 11-4 success in the Semi-Finals.
Anderson averaged 103 and posted nine 180s in a 10-4 demolition of World Champion Peter Wright in the last eight, before battling past James Wade in a gruelling semi-final.
Having won his previous six World Series finals, Anderson was unable to maintain his flawless record, but there were plenty of positives to take for the two-time World Champion.
“It’s been brilliant. Against James I was a little sluggish, but the way Dimitri played against Michael Smith, anybody would have been up against it,” the 51-year-old admitted.
“He played absolutely brilliantly. Hats off to him. He has a baby girl now. That might be her first trophy, but he’s got a big, big future ahead.
“There are a lot of great young players coming through, but the old guard can still play. We will give it a go!”
US Masters winner Smith had sealed his Semi-Final spot with a 10-6 win over last year’s runner-up Fallon Sherrock from 3-0 down, while Wade dispatched an out-of-sorts Michael van Gerwen 10-4 in the Last Eight ahead of their Premier League play-off meeting in Berlin on Monday.
Nordic Darts Masters 2022 Day Two Results
Saturday June 11
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 5-10 Dimitri van den Bergh
Michael Smith 10-6 Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen 4-10 James Wade
Peter Wright 4-10 Gary Anderson
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Dimitri van den Bergh 11-4 Michael Smith
Gary Anderson 11-7 James Wade
Final
Dimitri van den Bergh 11-5 Gary Anderson
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Nordic Darts Masters 2022 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play
The 2022 Nordic Darts Masters culminates in Copenhagen on Saturday as the final eight face off for the title.
Day One of the season’s second World Series event saw the eight PDC representatives all safely progress past Nordic & Baltic opposition at Forum Copenhagen.
The big names now go head-to-head as the tournament reaches its business end with two unmissable sessions on the way.
The opening Quarter-Final features a clash between world number three Gerwyn Price and world number nine Dimitri van den Bergh as they look to remain in contention for a maiden World Series title.
Price, who won the World Series Finals in 2020, needed an average of just 90.7 to see off Denmark’s Brian Løkken on Friday, reeling off five consecutive legs from 2-1 behind.
Van den Bergh, meanwhile, produced one of the stand-out performances of the opening round, averaging 98 with four 180s in a 6-0 whitewash of debutant Benjamin Drue Reus.
Price and Van den Bergh notably met in the Quarter-Finals of last year’s World Matchplay in a ferocious encounter in which the Belgian prevailed 16-9 with an average of 102.
The winner of that tie will take on either man of the moment Michael Smith or Fallon Sherrock in the evening’s Semi-Finals.
Smith is aiming to extend his winning streak to 14 matches in all competitions, having picked up three consecutive titles in a blistering spell of form.
The world number four followed up his Premier League Night 16 triumph in Newcastle by claiming the Dutch Darts Championship title, before adding the US Masters crown in New York last weekend to complete a memorable hat-trick.
He began his latest campaign with a routine 6-2 victory over Tour Card holder Vladimir Andersen and now meets Sherrock in a televised event for the first time.
Sherrock bounced back from last week’s disappointing First Round exit at Madison Square Garden by thrashing world number 43 Darius Labanauskas 6-1 on Friday, punishing a staggering 16 missed darts at doubles from the Lithuanian.
Runner-up here last year, Sherrock will be eyeing a marked improvement on her match average of 80 if she is to end Smith’s unbeaten run.
Elsewhere, decorated duo Michael van Gerwen and James Wade go head-to-head for the ninth time this season in what will be a dress rehearsal for Monday’s Premier League Semi-Final in Berlin.
Van Gerwen was a dominant 8-3 winner when they met at the same stage a week ago before eventually being denied by ‘Bully Boy’ in the final.
The Dutchman claimed the most recent of his 16 World Series titles in this event last September and will be keen to warm up for Monday’s main event by retaining the crown.
Wade, World Series Finals winner in 2018, is on the hunt for his first regular World Series title and began with a solid 6-3 victory over former ProTour finalist Madars Razma in Round One.
Another familiar encounter sees Scottish stars Peter Wright and Gary Anderson lock horns for the sixth time this season.
Wright won three of their five meetings in this year’s Premier League but like Anderson, missed out on a place in the play-offs.
The world number one and reigning World Champion has three World Series titles to his name, with his most recent coming in 2019, and began with a ruthless 6-0 whitewash of Iceland’s Matthías Örn Friðriksson with a 103.6 average on Friday.
Anderson is the third most successful player in World Series history with six titles to his name, though has not tasted success since 2018.
The two-time World Champion survived a scare in Round One, recovering from 5-3 down to edge out Sweden’s Daniel Larsson in a deciding leg with an average of just 87.
The action gets under way from 12pm BST, with Quarter-Finals to be contested over the best of 19 legs and Semi-Finals and the final best of 21 legs.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2022 Day Two Schedule of Play
All times BST (local time one hour ahead)
Saturday June 11
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Dimitri van den Bergh
Michael Smith v Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
Peter Wright v Gary Anderson
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Smith/Sherrock v Price/Van den Bergh
Van Gerwen/Wade v Wright/Anderson
Final
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Fallon Sherrock punishes wasteful Darius Labanauskas at the Nordic Darts Masters
Fallon Sherrock punished a disaster on the doubles from Darius Labanauskas to record a 6-1 rout in the opening round of the 2022 Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen on Friday.
Day One of the season’s second World Series event saw the eight PDC representatives all safely progress past Nordic & Baltic opposition at Forum Copenhagen.
Sherrock, last year’s beaten finalist, bounced back from her disappointing First Round exit in last week’s US Masters with a commanding victory over an out of sorts Labanauskas.
The multiple PDC Women’s Series event winner punished a staggering 16 missed darts at doubles from the nervy Lithuanian to coast into the Quarter-Finals.
Sherrock raced into a 4-0 lead before Labanauskas finally got off the mark in leg five, but a stunning 142 checkout from ‘The Queen of The Palace’ was followed up by an 85 finish to complete a rampant victory.
Sherrock will now face newly-crowned US Masters champion Michael Smith in the Last Eight on Saturday, after the St Helens star began his bid for back-to-back World Series titles with a 6-2 success over Danish number one Vladimir Andersen.
Smith was not at his blistering best, but he eased through with a 94 average and four maximums, converting a 101 finish to seal the deal with a 12-darter.
Elsewhere, reigning champion Michael van Gerwen kicked off his title defence with a dominant 6-1 win over Finnish veteran Marko Kantele.
Van Gerwen produced checkouts of 157 and 103 en route to victory with a 97 average and 55 per cent on the doubles, and will now meet James Wade in a dress rehearsal for Monday’s Premier League Semi-Final clash.
Wade began his campaign with a comfortable 6-3 win over Madars Razma, despite a spectacular 154 checkout from the Latvian midway through the contest.
World Champion Peter Wright produced the performance of the night in Copenhagen, averaging 103.6 in a whitewash win over TV debutant Matthías Örn Fridriksson.
Fridriksson became the first Icelandic player to feature in a televised PDC event, but he was blown away by the world number one, who converted 55 per cent of his attempts at double.
Wright now looks ahead to an all-Scottish affair against Gary Anderson – who survived a huge scare after rallying from 5-3 down to edge out experienced Swede Daniel Larsson in a decider.
Finishes of 116 and 100 inspired Anderson’s revival following a torrid start, and after firing in back-to-back 13-darters to force a decider, the Scot sealed his progression via double eight.
Gerwyn Price recovered from a sluggish start to dump out home favourite Brian Løkken, reeling off five consecutive legs from 2-1 down to book a last eight showdown against Dimitri Van den Bergh.
In the evening’s curtain-raiser, Van den Bergh cruised through with a comprehensive whitewash win over Danish youngster Benjamin Drue Reus, averaging 98 and landing four 180s.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2022 Day One Results
All times BST (local time one hour ahead)
Friday June 10
First Round
6pm-10pm
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-0 Benjamin Drue Reus
Gary Anderson 6-5 Daniel Larsson
James Wade 6-3 Madars Razma
Fallon Sherrock 6-1 Darius Labanauskas
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Brian Løkken
Michael Smith 6-2 Vladimir Andersen
Peter Wright 6-0 Matthias Örn Friôriksson
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Marko Kantele
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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.
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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
Nordic Darts Masters 2022 | Draw, Live Scores and Schedule of Play
The 2022 World Series continues in Copenhagen with the Nordic Darts Masters, and you can follow the latest results and schedule of play here.
The sport’s biggest names return to Forum Copenhagen from June 10-11, with eight PDC representatives joined by eight Nordic & Baltic representatives.
Michael van Gerwen is the defending champion after he defeated Fallon Sherrock 11-7 in the final of the inaugural Nordic Masters last year.
Van Gerwen is the number two seed as he bids for a 17th World Series title, while top seed Michael Smith aims to make it back-t0-back triumphs following his stunning victory at the US Masters in New York last weekend.
World number one and reigning World Champion Peter Wright, Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price, ten-time major winner James Wade, two-time World Champion Gary Anderson, former World Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh and last year’s runner-up Sherrock also return to action.
The Nordic qualifiers are comprised of their three PDC Tour Card holders – Darius Labanauskas, Madars Razma and Vladimir Andersen, the next two highest ranked players from Denmark – Benjamin Drue Reus and Brian Løkken, as well as the highest ranked players from Sweden, Finland and Iceland – Daniel Larsson, Marko Kantele and Matthías Örn Friðriksson.
First Round matches are to be contested over the best of 11 legs, with Quarter-Finals best of 19 and Semi-Finals and the final best of 21 legs.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2022 Schedule of Play
All times BST (local time one hour ahead)
Friday June 10
First Round
6pm-10pm
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-0 Benjamin Drue Reus
Gary Anderson 6-5 Daniel Larsson
James Wade 6-3 Madars Razma
Fallon Sherrock 6-1 Darius Labanauskas
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Brian Løkken
Michael Smith 6-2 Vladimir Andersen
Peter Wright 6-0 Matthias Örn Friôriksson
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Marko Kantele
Saturday June 11
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 5-10 Dimitri van den Bergh
Michael Smith 10-6 Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen 4-10 James Wade
Peter Wright 4-10 Gary Anderson
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 4-11 Dimitri van den Bergh
James Wade 7-11 Gary Anderson
Final
Dimitri van den Bergh 11-5 Gary Anderson
Nordic Darts Masters Prize Fund
Winner: £20,000
Runner-up: £10,000
Semi-Final losers: £5,000
Quarter-Final losers: £2,500
First Round losers: £1,250
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Van Gerwen denies Sherrock to end title drought at the Nordic Darts Masters
Michael van Gerwen captured his first title of 2021 at the Nordic Darts Masters with a thrilling 11-7 win over Fallon Sherrock in the final.
Van Gerwen ended a 293-day wait for televised silverware as he came from 7-5 down to deny Sherrock a famous triumph in Copenhagen.
Sherrock had pulled off a remarkable comeback win over Dimitri van den Bergh in the Semi-Finals, recovering from 8-2 and 10-6 behind to prevail 11-10 after surviving eight match darts.
The history-making 27-year-old played her part in an enthralling final, opening up a 7-5 lead, but Van Gerwen dug deep to reel off six consecutive legs and return to the winner’s enclosure.
Van Gerwen broke down in tears during his post-match interview on stage, admitting: “To win this means a lot to me and I’m very proud.
“I’ve been through a really tough period, there was so much pressure on my shoulders.
“I’ve had to wait a long time to win a trophy – for my ability and what I’m capable of, it’s been too long, but that makes it even nicer, and this tournament had everything.
“Fallon played a phenomenal tournament and I think she played one of the best games of her life in the final, and I had to find another gear.
“It’s been a phenomenal day of darts for everyone and I think I deserved it this weekend, I played really well overall.
“The fans have been absolutely incredible and I can’t thank them enough, I hope I can come back next year.”
Having defeated Denmark’s Niels Heinsøe 6-1 in Friday’s opening round, Sherrock benefited from a Quarter-Final walkover after Gerwyn Price withdrew from the tournament due to an elbow injury.
Sherrock then stunned Van den Bergh by coming from 7-1, 8-2 and 10-6 down to take out 106 and 101 as she forced a deciding leg shoot-out.
With Van den Bergh crumbling under pressure, Sherrock kept her cool by kicking off the leg with a 180 and completing the comeback with a 100 checkout.
Having been taken to a deciding by by Darius Labanauskas in Round One, Van Gerwen registered ton-plus averages in both his 10-4 Quarter-Final defeat of Madars Razma and 11-7 Semi-Final win over Jonny Clayton.
The world number three began the final strongly, opening up a 2-0 lead with a 110 checkout.
Sherrock, though, reeled off six of the next seven legs to move 6-3 ahead in a remarkable run which brought over 4,000 fans to their feet at Forum Copenhagen.
Van Gerwen finished 72 and 122 to reduce the gap to 6-5, but a miss at tops for a 154 checkout allowed Sherrock in on double nine to regain breathing space.
Legs of 13 and 14 darts saw Van Gerwen draw level, before posting double ten to regain the lead at 8-7 and a 14-darter to move two legs clear.
Double four moved Van Gerwen to the brink of victory at 10-7, and he finished 80 in two darts to seal glory and end his title drought.
Sherrock’s run to the final sees her return to the spotlight ahead of the forthcoming PDC Women’s Series, where she will attempt to qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts and William Hill World Darts Championship.
“I was so proud of myself, especially to push Michael as much as I did,” admitted Sherrock. “It’s Michael van Gerwen, and I was so close to him!
“I cannot put into words how I was feeling [at 6-3 up] – I was shaking but I had to stay calm.
“I’ve taken every opportunity that I can get – showing everyone how I can play and pushing one of the best in the world, I’m so happy.”
Clayton had averaged almost 104 in a ruthless 10-3 Quarter-Final win over Peter Wright, while Van den Bergh defeated Gary Anderson 10-8 in their Last Eight tie to kick off Saturday’s proceedings.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2021 Results
Saturday September 18
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price w/d Fallon Sherrock (bye)
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-8 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 3-10 Jonny Clayton
Michael van Gerwen 10-4 Madars Razma
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Fallon Sherrock 11-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Jonny Clayton 7-11 Michael van Gerwen
Final
Michael van Gerwen 11-7 Fallon Sherrock
Gerwyn Price withdraws from the Nordic Darts Masters
Gerwyn Price has withdrawn from the 2021 Nordic Darts Masters due to an elbow injury.
The world number one had defeated Sweden’s Daniel Larsson 6-3 in the opening round of the World Series event in Copenhagen on Friday but admitted in his post-match interview he had been suffering from a recurrence of a previous elbow problem.
Price was due to face Fallon Sherrock in the Quarter-Finals on Saturday afternoon but has now withdrawn from the remainder of the tournament.
The Welshman will now return home to seek treatment, meaning Sherrock receives a walkover into the Semi-Finals.
“I’m gutted to have to withdraw, especially after getting the win tonight, but I have to consider the long-term effects of the injury,” said Price.
“It’s a problem I’ve had previously and I know that playing up to three games on Saturday would be extremely tough and could also affect me ahead of some important events coming up.
“I want to thank the Danish fans for giving me a great welcome on Friday and I hope I can play in front of them again next year.”
Sherrock, who thrashed Denmark’s Niels Heinsøe 6-1 in the First Round, will now face either Dimitri Van den Bergh or Gary Anderson in the Semi-Finals on Saturday evening.
Price’s next scheduled tournament is the Gibraltar Darts Trophy from September 24-26, but it is unclear as yet whether the reigning World Champion will feature in the season’s second European Tour event.
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