World Seniors Darts Championship 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2023 World Seniors Darts Championship gets under way at The Circus Tavern on Thursday with a host of former major winners in action.
The second staging of the over-50s event will feature an expanded field of 32 players competing for £80,000 in prize money at the iconic Circus Tavern in Purfleet – the former home of the PDC World Championship.
The opening day plays host to two sessions of First Round action, featuring a number of notable debutants aiming to make an instant impact.
The afternoon session kicks off with a clash between nine-time major finalist Terry Jenkins and two-time World Championship semi-finalist Chris Mason.
Jenkins, who retired from PDC competition in 2018, enjoyed a fine run to the Semi-Finals of the inaugural World Seniors Championship 12 months ago, eventually losing out to Martin Adams.
Mason has regained his competitive appetite following an impressive debut at the Modus Super Series last year, and the 53-year-old has subsequently been invited to compete in his first fully televised tournament since 2009.
David Cameron, the reigning World Seniors Masters champion, takes on home favourite Richie Howson in a repeat of their Semi-Final clash at Lakeside last year.
Cameron prevailed 5-2 on his way to claiming the title with victory over Phil Taylor in the final, and the Canadian looks to replicate that success on this famous stage.
Howson heads into the event as one of the most in-form competitors, having claimed back-to-back qualifying titles last month, and ‘The Owl’ is set to receive strong backing in his local venue once again.
Les Wallace, the 1997 World Champion, starts out against former World Trophy winner Darryl Fitton, with both bidding for their first win on this stage following narrow 3-2 defeats last time out.
Larry Butler, the inaugural PDC World Matchplay winner back in 1994, opens up against debutant Darren Johnson.
Butler reached the Quarter-Finals here last year with victories over Alan Warriner-Littler and Keith Deller, while South Yorkshire’s Johnson qualifier via the World Seniors Tour rankings and is a former PDC Tour Card holder.
The evening session commences with a tie between former Players Champion Kevin Painter and two-time BDO world finalist Ronnie Baxter.
Painter, who was famously beaten by Phil Taylor in a sudden death world final on this very stage in 2004, gained a degree of revenge on his long-term nemesis with a 3-0 victory in Round Two here last year before eventually bowing out in the Semi-Finals.
Baxter, the 1998 World Matchplay runner-up, returns to the Circus Tavern for the first time in over a decade, having made his Seniors debut in Hull last July – losing 8-5 to Terry Jenkins in the opening round.
Last year’s runner-up Martin Adams starts his quest to go a step further when he faces Durham qualifier Dave Prins.
Adams was denied glory by Robert Thornton in last year’s final, and the three-time BDO World Champion remains a formidable competitor at the age of 66.
Prins enjoyed a fine run to the Quarter-Finals last year, defeating Paul Lim and John Lowe for the combined loss of just one set, before being defeated 3-0 by eventual champion Thornton.
Scott Mitchell, the 2015 BDO World Champion, marks his World Seniors debut with a show-down against three-time PDC world finalist Peter Manley.
After ending last season as world number 70, Mitchell surrendered his PDC Tour Card and missed out on an immediate return at Qualifying School last month by two points.
Manley, who retired from professional darts over a decade ago, defeated Deta Hedman upon his televised return here 12 months ago before suffering a familiar fate with defeat to rival Phil Taylor.
Meanwhile, ten-time Women’s World Champion Trina Gulliver MBE bids for her first World Seniors win when she takes on debutant Dennis Harbour.
Gulliver, the number five seed, was soundly beaten in straight sets by Thornton in Round One last year and was also denied by Hedman and Howson in her opening matches at Lakeside and Hull respectively.
Harbour, 61, is one of three qualifiers in the field, and notably reached the Quarter-Finals of the BDO World Championship as recently as 2016.
The action gets under way from 1pm GMT, with First Round ties to be contested over the best of five sets (best of five legs per set). The deciding set of any match must be won by two clear legs, until the score line reaches 5-5 – when the 11th leg will be sudden death.
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World Seniors Championship 2023 Day One Schedule
Thursday February 9
Round One
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Terry Jenkins v Chris Mason
Les Wallace v Darryl Fitton
David Cameron v Richie Howson
Larry Butler v Darren Johnson
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Kevin Painter v Ronnie Baxter
Trina Gulliver v Dennis Harbour
Martin Adams v Dave Prins
Peter Manley v Scott Mitchell
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