World Seniors Darts Championship 2023 | Day Two Preview and Order of Play
The First Round action continues at the World Seniors Championship on Friday with seven World Champions among a star-studded line-up.
Day One at The Circus Tavern saw the likes of Chris Mason, David Cameron and Larry Butler bow out at the first hurdle, and a host of big names will be out to avoid suffering a similar fate.
The afternoon session features a show-down between reigning Men’s WDF World Champion Neil Duff and four-time Women’s World Champion Lisa Ashton.
Duff made history at Lakeside last year by overcoming Thibault Tricole in a dramatic eleventh set decider to claim the title, and the Northern Irishman will be out to replicate that success on his World Seniors debut.
Ashton lost out to Terry Jenkins here 12 months ago but has since gone on to reach the Quarter-Finals of the World Seniors Matchplay, as well as making her fourth appearance at the Grand Slam of Darts and PDC World Championship.
Former PDC World Championship semi-finalist Andy Jenkins marks his World Seniors debut with a tie against former World Champion Bob Anderson – the oldest player in the competition at 75.
Jenkins secured his qualification via the World Seniors tour rankings and has enjoyed a fine return to form of late, notably picking up a PDC Challenge Tour title last year.
Anderson, the 1988 World Champion, reached the PDC World Championship Semi-Finals at this venue in 2004 and 2005 and is targeting his first World Seniors victory at the fourth time of asking.
Forty years on from his World Championship triumph with an iconic title-winning 138 checkout, Keith Deller returns to the big stage to face Welsh debutant Mike Huntley.
Deller, 63, was edged out by Larry Butler in a tie break set in his opener here last year before securing his first Seniors win at Lakeside over Bob Anderson, before eventually going down 4-2 to Richie Howson in the Quarter-Finals.
Huntley is one of three qualifiers in this year’s field and has been in impressive form in the Modus Super Series, while also having reached the second phase of UK Qualifying School last month.
Reigning North American champion Leonard Gates marks his World Seniors debut with a tie against three-time BDO world finalist Tony O’Shea.
Crowd favourite O’Shea was narrowly beaten by Kevin Painter in a deciding set last year and was a semi-finalist at the World Seniors Masters at Lakeside before eventually bowing out at the hands of Phil Taylor.
Gates made his debut at Alexandra Palace in December, making an instant impression with his trademark dance moves and defeating Geert Nentjes in Round One before losing out to Stephen Bunting.
The stand-out tie of the evening sees 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor take on Northern Ireland’s Colin McGarry.
Taylor is targeting his first Seniors title, having finished runner-up in the World Seniors Masters and World Seniors Matchplay last year following a 3-0 defeat to Painter in the Quarter-Finals at The Circus Tavern.
The sport’s all-time most decorated darter has been handed a tough opening assignment against an in-form McGarry – who reached the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 World Seniors Matchplay and has posted a clutch of ton-plus averages in the recent qualifying events.
Twenty years on from his unforgettable win over Taylor in the PDC World Championship final, John Part returns to the Circus Tavern stage to face former World Cup of Darts winner Co Stompe.
Part was beaten John Walton here 12 months ago before registering his first Seniors win over Paul Lim at Lakeside with the aid of a vintage 164 checkout.
Stompe, 60, is making his long-awaited World Seniors debut after receiving an invitation to compete a decade after his last appearance in a televised PDC event.
Reigning champion Robert Thornton kicks off the defence of his title with a tie against former UK Open champion Roland Scholten.
Multiple major champion Thornton dominated the inaugural season of the World Seniors, backing up his triumph here 12 months ago by also winning the World Seniors Matchplay in Hull.
Scholten, UK Open winner in 2004, suffered a straight sets loss to Terry Jenkins in the opening round last year and is once again swapping his role as a TV pundit in the Netherlands for a return to the big stage.
Three-time BDO World Champion and former Premier League winner Glen Durrant kicks off his maiden Seniors campaign against former PDC world finalist Mark Dudbridge.
Former top 16 star Durrant surrendered his PDC Tour Card at the end of 2022 following a nightmare two-year period and will be hoping for a change of fortune on his Seniors debut as he bids to recapture his vintage best.
Dudbridge, the 2002 World Masters champion and former Premier League player, received an invitation for his first World Seniors appearance having last featured in a televised event at the 2016 UK Open.
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 Two Schedule
Friday February 10
Round One
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Bob Anderson v Andy Jenkins
Neil Duff v Lisa Ashton
Tony O’Shea v Leonard Gates
Keith Deller v Mike Huntley
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
John Part v Co Stompe
Glen Durrant v Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor v Colin McGarry
Robert Thornton v Roland Scholten
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