WDF World Championship 2023 | Day Five Preview and Order of Play
The Second Round draws to a close at the 2023 WDF World Championship at Lakeside on Wednesday, while the men’s Last 16 action also commences.
Five seeds have already been sent packing in the men’s competition, and a clutch of experienced names will be out to avoid joining that list on Day Five in Frimley Green.
The afternoon session kicks off with a tie between seventh seed Chris Landman and Scotland’s Davie Kirwan.
Landman has picked up a PDC Challenge Tour title this year, gaining a top-up place in a number of ProTour events and notably finishing runner-up in Players Championship Nine in April.
The Dutchman reached the Quarter-Finals of the 2020 BDO World Championship and is a four-time WDF ranking event winner.
Kirwan, meanwhile, defeated Slovenia’s Benjamin Pratnemer in straight sets to mark a winning debut at Lakeside, and was a semi-finalist at this year’s Irish Open.
Hong Kong’s Kai Fan Leung launches his debut Lakeside campaign with a clash against Swiss star Thomas Junghans.
Leung is a former PDC Tour Card holder and reached the Semi-Finals of last year’s World Masters, while also claiming glory at the 2022 Swedish Open.
Junghans, who replaced Leung as Swedish Open champion this year and a was a semi-finalist at the 2015 World Masters, overcame David Pallett in straight sets in Round One earlier this week.
Darren Johnson, the number 14 seed, opens up with a tie against Dutch ace Dennie Olde Kalter.
Johnson, 58, competed in this year’s World Seniors Championship – where he was beaten by Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern, and claimed last year’s Northern Ireland Open title.
Olde Kalter enjoyed a fine run to the Quarter-Finals of this year’s Dutch Open and began his first Lakeside campaign with a commanding straight sets win over Antony Allen.
In the women’s competition, seventh seed Lorraine Winstanley – runner-up here in 2019 – opens up against Hungary’s Veronika Ihász – who eased past Jo Clements in straight sets in Round One.
The final match of the Second Round in the women’s draw sees second seed Aileen de Graaf – the reigning Dutch Open champion – take on New Zealand newcomer Nicole Regnaud.
American left-hander Danny Lauby aims to hit the ground running on his Lakeside debut when he comes up against Dutch star Jarno Bottenberg.
Lauby is the number six seed, having racked up a host of ranking titles in the US last year, and has previously featured in the PDC World Championship on two occasions – losing in fifth set deciders to Ryan Searle and William O’Connor.
Bottenberg, 22, enjoyed a dream debut at the home of world darts by dispatching former PDC World Championship semi-finalist Jamie Lewis 2-0 with a 91.7 average.
Elsewhere, top seed and tournament favourite Andy Baetens commences the Last 16 action in the men’s competition with a show-down against Gary Stone.
Belgian star Baetens has dominated the WDF circuit this year by picking up eight ranking titles and is bidding to reach the Quarter-Finals at Lakeside for the third time, having averaged 94.8 in his 3-0 win over Sebastian Białecki on Monday.
Scotland’s Stone, winner of this year’s Romanian Classic, dispatched Sweden’s Ricky Nauman 3-1 in his opener with a 91 average and is out to reach the Quarter-Finals at Lakeside for the first time in three attempts.
World Masters champion Wesley Plaisier then takes on former PDC Tour Card holder James Richardson.
Fifth seed Plaisier has enjoyed a breakthrough 18 months, claiming the World Masters title last year as well as a PDC Challenge Tour title, and was also a semi-finalist on the PDC European Tour in September.
Richardson began his maiden Lakeside campaign with a 2-1 win over Austria’s Christian Gödl, before brushing aside former World Trophy winner Peter Machin 3-0 despite a missed double 12 for a nine-darter from the Australian.
The action gets under way from 1pm GMT, with Men’s Second Round and Last 16 ties to be contested over the best of five sets and Women’s Second Round ties best of three sets.
WDF World Championship 2023 Day Five Schedule
Wednesday December 6
Second Round
Afternoon session (1pm-5pm)
Chris Landman v Davie Kirwan
Lorraine Winstanley v Veronika Ihász
Kai Fan Leung v Thomas Junghans
Darren Johnson v Dennie Olde Kalter
Evening session (7pm-11pm)
Danny Lauby v Jarno Bottenberg
Aileen de Graaf v Nicole Regnaud
Andy Baetens v Gary Stone (R3)
Wesley Plaisier v James Richardson (R3)
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