The Cazoo 2023 World Darts Championship kicks off tonight live from the Alexandra Palace, with defending champion Peter Wright in action against the winner of the session’s opening match.
The colourful Scotsman will face either WDF number 8 Ben Robb who debuted in the MODUS Super Series last week, or Micky Mansell who appears in his seventh World Championship.
The Red Dragon star lifted the Sid Waddell trophy back in January having beaten Michael Smith 7-5 in the Final. The World Number 2 was also involved in a classic Semi-Final with compatriot Gary Anderson, averaging 104 over the match whilst reeling off the opening three sets to put the former back-to-back World Champion on the back foot.
Wright also went to another last-set decider in his Quarter Final victory over Callan Rydz, with the youngster only dropping one set in the competition before his Last 8 match.
The Livingston thrower claimed his first World Title back in 2020, gaining revenge over Michael van Gerwen by defeating him 7-3 at the Alexandra Palace. The Scotsman lost to MVG in his maiden World Final back in 2014 but this time averaged 102.74, to become the ninth different winner of the PDC competition.
2022 has seen the defending World Champion claim his second German Darts Open title, beating lockdown mate Dimitri van den Bergh 8-6 in his only Euro Tour win. Wright has reached three Players Championship Finals, winning 8-5 against Gerwyn Price to claim PC 2 his only win on the Pro Tour this year.
The 52-year-old missed the recent Players Championship Finals due to family reasons, whilst also sitting out the World Series tour of Australia this summer to undergo an operation.
Wright has mentioned joining the elite group to have claimed the PDC world title three times – currently only Phil Taylor and MVG – as well as going back-to-back and joining a slightly bigger club.
There will also, of course, be great interest in the weapons Wright chooses to do battle with during his opening clash. His manufacturer Red Dragon have released another new model today and apparently, Cankebite is eager to is try them out on the big stage.
The Cazoo 2023 World Darts Championship gets underway live on Sky Sports Darts from 6pm on Thursday, with the winner of tonight’s opening match facing defending two-time World Champion and tournament second seed Peter Wright in the Second Round.
2023 Cazoo World Darts Championship Order of Play:
Round 1:
Micky Mansell v Ben Robb
Keane Barry v Grant Sampson
Jermaine Wattimena v Nathan Rafferty
Round 2:
Peter Wright (2) v Mansell/ Robb
—–ENDS—–
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