WDF World Championship 2023 | Day Six Preview and Order of Play

The Last 16 action draws to a close at the 2023 WDF World Championship on Thursday as a host of in-form players aim to continue their quest for Lakeside glory.

Top seed Andy Baetens and World Masters champion Wesley Plaisier became the first two players to seal a Quarter-Final spot in the men’s draw on Wednesday, while two places remain up for grabs in the women’s Quarter-Finals.

The afternoon session on Day Six begins with a tie between New Zealand’s Jonny Tata and American ace Jim Widmayer.

Tata, a truck driver by day who sensationally defeated Peter Wright in August’s New Zealand Masters, has underlined his big stage prowess by defeating Shaun McDonald and Barry Copeland in last-set deciders in his Lakeside debut campaign so far.

Widmayer, 54, is making his fourth Lakeside appearance and followed up a 2-1 win over Hungary’s Patrik Kovacs with a commanding 3-0 victory over ninth seed Mark Barilli.

Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson and Dutch star Alexander Merkx will collide for the right to face fifth seed Plaisier in the Quarter-Finals.

Nilsson is appearing at this stage of the event for the first time in three attempts, having seen off Jordan Brooks 2-0 and fourth seed James Hurrell in a tense last-set decider.

Merkx, the number 13 seed, was a two-time WDF event winner in 2022 and began his campaign here with a 3-1 success over Dutch compatriot Arjan Konterman on Tuesday.

PDC Players Championship event finalist Chris Landman then takes on Swiss star Thomas Junghans.

Seventh seed Landman, who has picked up a PDC Challenge Tour title this year, swept aside Scotland’s Davie Kirwan in straight sets on Wednesday, while Junghans backed up his straight sets win over David Pallett by recovering from a set down to defeat former PDC Tour Card holder Kai Fan Leung 3-1.

Kirsty Hutchinson, last year’s beaten women’s world finalist, continues her quest for back-to-back final appearances when she takes on New Zealand’s Wendy Harper – the number six seed.

The evening session kicks off with an all-Dutch tussle between 2006 Lakeside champion Jelle Klaasen and Dennie Olde Kalter.

Klaasen is back to the scene of his most famous darting moment for the first time since 2007, having gone on to enjoy a successful decade in the PDC which saw him reach the World Championship Semi-Finals in 2016 and compete in the Premier League.

The number three seed was impressive in dispatching Sweden’s Edwin Torbjörnsson 3-0 with a 94 average earlier in the week, while Olde Kalter has overcome Antony Allen and Darren Johnson with solid averages of 86 and 87.

Reigning champion Neil Duff steps up the defence of his title with a clash against 15th seed Martyn Turner.

Duff edged out Thibault Tricole 6-5 in a dramatic final last year to claim the crown, and the Northern Irishman is bidding to become only the fifth male player ever to retain a world title at Lakeside.

Duff held his nerve to edge out Dutch youngster Moreno Blom in his opener, while Welsh Open and Isle of Man Open winner Turner overcame methodical German Liam Maendl-Lawrance 3-1.

A mouth-watering all-American show-down sees World Seniors star Leonard Gates take on sixth seed Danny Lauby.

Gates registered the highest average of the opening round (92.11) as he saw off New Zealand’s Brian Corbett 2-0 and is still yet to drop a set after powering past John Scott with three on the spin on Tuesday.

Lauby has 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.

The rapid left-hander produced one of the stand-out performances of the Second Round as he breezed past Jarno Bottenberg 3-0 with a 91.2 average.

The final match of the Women’s Second Round sees four-time World Champion Lisa Ashton begin her latest quest for Lakeside glory against  Priscilla Steenbergen of the Netherlands.

Ashton looks to represent Beau Greaves’ biggest threat for the trophy this week and will be determined to hit the ground running in what is her 11th BDO/WDF World Championship campaign.

The action gets under way from 1pm GMT, with Men’s Third Round 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 Six Schedule

Thursday December 7

Third Round

Afternoon session (1pm-5pm)
Jonny Tata v Jim Widmayer
Wendy Harper v Kirsty Hutchinson (R2)
Dennis Nilsson v Alexander Merkx
Chris Landman v Thomas Junghans

Evening session (7pm-11pm)
Jelle Klaasen v Dennie Olde Kalter
Lisa Ashton v Priscilla Steenbergen (R2)
Neil Duff v Martyn Turner
Danny Lauby v Leonard Gates

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