The UK Open gets underway this weekend in Minehead and the draw for the event has now taken place. In the draw includes five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld against Scottish youngster Willie Borland who famously hit a nine-dart leg in a sudden death shootout against Bradley Brooks back in December.
Borland (who recently signed a new deal with sponsors Winmau) has played all the Player’s Championship events so far and will be looking to push on in 2022. This will be the youngster’s first televised appearance since his defeat to Ryan Searle at the Ally Pally.
Van Barneveld will also be returning to the stage for the first time since December and will be looking for a run in this competition, with the Dutchman winning the tournament back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Other ties will see Ryan Harrington (the son of legend Rod) take on Austrian youngster Rusty-Jake Rodriguez. Harrington earned qualification for the event by winning a qualifier at Riley’s sports bar, but will have a difficult task in Rusty-Jake with the youngster 16th in the development tour rankings.
Adrian Lewis will also play on the main stage on the Friday with his opponent yet to be discovered. “Jackpot” has seen himself drop out of the top 32 in the world so will be hoping for a strong performance in Minehead with the former world champion currently 41 in the world.
Welsh youngster Lewy Williams will be going into Minehead in high spirits after his performance at the international darts open over the weekend. He reached the last 16 where he narrowly lost out 6-4 to compatriot Jonny Clayton which saw Williams hit five 140s and one maximum.
Williams will take on former German world cup star Martin Schindler on the main stage. Both reached the first round of the world championships at Christmas with Schindler losing in the first round to Florian Hempel whilst Williams was defeated in the second round by another German in Gabriel Clemens.
Irish youngster Keane Barry will take on David Evans where the winner will face Dutch star Jeffrey de Zwaan. Barry like Lewy Williams was impressive at the international darts open where he gave world number three Michael van Gerwen a real scare losing 6-4 where he averaged 98.93 with four out of nine on his doubles. Should he come through he (or Schindler) will meet Canadian Jeff Smith in the next round.
Another Dutchman, Wesley Plaisier, will be keen to make progress after impressing in his stage appearances in 2021 and previously, and qualifying again (for European Tour 3) this year.
Two 2022 Tour card winners are drawn together on stage 3 with former world Champion Richie Burnett taking on Tony Martinez who surprised many by gaining a tour card in European Q School in January.
The UK Open draw for the fourth round will take place after Friday’s action and will see the top players enter the tournament with the prospect of being ready to play anyone. Ranking does not matter in this tournament with the draw being completely at random.
Action gets underway on ITV 4 on Friday at 11:45 with many first-round match’s starting on the boards around the venue.
Main Stage:
Bradley Brooks v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R1)
Jelle Klaasen v Mark Rice (R1)
David Evans v Keane Barry (R2)
Lewy Williams v Martin Schindler (R2)
Connor Scutt v Vandenbogaerde/Van Dongen (R2)
Wilson/Wilkinson v John Henderson (R2)
Florian Hempel v Good/Kay/Warner/Wenig (R3)
Raymond van Barneveld v William Borland (R3)
Adrian Lewis v Andersen/Clayson/Leung/Schmutzler (R3)
Stage 2:
Kai Fan Leung v Fabian Schmutzler (R1)
Matt Campbell v Sebastian Bialecki (R1)
Mario Vandenbogaerde v Jules van Dongen (R1)
Danny Lauby v Niko Springer (R1)
Jon Worsley v Niels Zonneveld (R2)
John Michael v Danny Baggish (R2)
Evetts/Fullwell v Jack Main (R2)
Brooks/Rowby-John Rodriguez v Gordon Mathers (R2)
Madars Razma v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Kciuk/Claydon v Ross Smith (R3)
L Williams/Schindler v Jeff Smith (R3)
Kim Huybrechts v Peters/Marsh/De Vos (R3)
Stage 3:
Ted Evetts v Nick Fullwell (R1)
Ryan Harrington v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
Richie Burnett v Tony Martinez (R1)
Darren Webster v Jose Justicia (R1)
Martin Thomas v Kenny Neyens (R1)
Berry van Peer v Kevin Doets (R2)
Burness/Hall v Andrew Gilding (R2)
Peter Hudson v O’Shea/Rafferty (R2)
J Williams/Murray v Van der Velde/Mansell (R2)
Max Hopp v Ritchie Edhouse (R3)
McDonald/Clark/Lukeman v Adam Hunt (R3)
Jason Lowe v Klaasen/Rice/Menzies (R3)
Andy Boulton v Hogan/Taylor/Lauby/Springer (R3)
Stage 4:
George Killington v Reece Robinson (R1)
Dan Read v Diogo Portela (R1)
Josh Rock v Damian Mol (R1)
James Wilson v Shaun Wilkinson (R1)
Good/Kay v Warner/Wenig (R2)
Klaasen/Rice v Cameron Menzies (R2)
Burnett/Martinez v Harrington/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R2)
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Evans/Barry (R3)
Steve Beaton v Burness/Hall/Gilding (R3)
Hudson/O’Shea/Rafferty v Maik Kuivenhoven (R3)
Webster/Justicia/Lovely v Gawlas/Killington/Robinson (R3)
Jermaine Wattimena v Montgomery/Colley/Read/Portela (R3)
Stage 5:
Matt Good v Keelan Kay (R1)
Jim Williams v Ryan Murray (R1)
John O’Shea v Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Jurjen van der Velde v Mickey Mansell (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Jake Jones (R2)
Plaisier/Szaganski v Scott Waites (R2)
Webster/Justicia v Eddie Lovely (R2)
Hogan/Taylor v Lauby/Springer (R2)
Keegan Brown v Campbell/Bialecki/Murnan (R3)
Steve West v Brown/Rock/Mol (R3)
Steve Lennon v Burnett/Martinez/Harrington/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R3)
Van Peer/Doets v Worsley/Zonneveld (R3)
Stage 6:
Ricardo Pietreczko v Scott Taylor (R1)
Vladimir Andersen v Steve Clayson (R1)
Paul Hogan v Dom Taylor (R1)
Prakash Jiwa v Toni Alcinas (R1)
Krzysztof Kciuk v Brett Claydon (R2)
McDonald/Clark v Martin Lukeman (R2)
Scott Mitchell v Jansen/Meek (R2)
Peters/Marsh v Geert De Vos (R2)
Ron Meulenkamp v Michael/Baggish (R3)
Mitchell/Jansen/Meek v Ricky Evans (R3)
Darius Labanauskas v Wilson/Wilkinson/Henderson (R3)
J Williams/Murray/Van der Velde/Mansell v Alan Soutar (R3)
Stage 7:
Darren Beveridge v Jimmy Hendriks (R1)
Wesley Plaisier v Radek Szaganski (R1)
Ross Montgomery v Reece Colley (R1)
Danny Jansen v Liam Meek (R1)
——ENDS—–
Words: Harry Masterson, Images: PDC
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