UK Open 2023: The FA Cup of Darts Preview

The start of March indicates the start of the three-day darting festival that is the Cazoo UK Open, with eight stages and 158 players all looking to become the first PDC major winner of the year.

Danny Noppert edged Michael Smith 11-10 in last year’s Final at Butlins Minehead, with the Freeze becoming a major champion for the very first time, picking up the trophy and £100,000.

Noppert has since established himself within the world’s top eight after reaching a further two televised semi-finals in 2022 and is in a confident mood ahead of his title defence.

“Last year it was really special to win the title,” reflected Noppert, who became the fourth Dutch player to celebrate UK Open success.

“I don’t want to put myself under too much pressure this weekend, but it’s a nice tournament for me and I’m excited to be back.

“Not every dart player can say that they’ve won a title on TV so it was a great moment for me.

“That win gave me a lot of belief. I think I had a good year and I was a lot more confident in the televised tournaments because winning gives you more self-belief.”

The Dutchman and the Professional Darts Corporation’s top players will enter the competition in the Fourth Round, with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright also falling into the same bracket.

Former champions Peter Wright, James Wade, Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld will also enter at the fourth round stage, in what is set to be a blockbuster opening night.

The 2023 draw has been made and the schedule has also been confirmed for when the competition starts on Friday, including an intriguing matchup between Jamie Hughes and German star Florian Hempel occurring on the second stage in the Third Round.

Yozza has started the year well, reaching the Final of the first Pro Tour Event of the year, losing to Ryan Searle in the Final at the Barnsley Metrodome.

The player from the Black Country will face the reigning Super League champion in Hempel, with the German beating Keegan Brown 3-2 in the First Round of the 2023 World Darts Championship. The German will hope to progress in Minehead this weekend, having reached the Fourth Round 12 months ago.

Another interesting early event will be the arrival of Luke The Nuke Littler. The 16-year-old sensation qualified via Riley’s amateur events on his 16th birthday and will be looking to make a big impression. Littler is confronted in Rd by former Pro Tour finalist, Challenge Tour winner and dual code World Championship qualifier Nick Fullwell.

Two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis won the event’s first staging at Minehead in 2014, and he will begin his campaign in round three against Joe Murnan on Friday afternoon.

The Stoke-on-Trent star will celebrate his 20th UK Open appearance this weekend and is hoping to mark the milestone in style following a frustrating start to 2023.

“I think I’ve got a running average of 97 this season and I’ve only picked up a few wins, but that’s darts,” conceded Lewis, one of eight former champions in this year’s field.

“I believe my luck will change, so I’m going to keep working hard and try to maintain the consistency that I’ve shown in my performances so far this year.

“I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I love the UK Open. The open draw is exciting and it’s a tournament that holds fond memories for me.

“I would love to win this again. It’s one of the hardest titles to win and it would give me so much confidence. I’d be over the moon!”

The winners will go into the draw for the Fourth Round which will take place after the all the Third-Round matches have taken place, with further draws to be made following each subsequent round.

Gian van Veen who reached the Quarter Finals of Players Championship 3 will start his 2023 UK Open campaign in the First Round, taking on Welsh international and fellow Red Dragon player Robert Owen in the maiden Stage 2 match of the year.

GVV will make his debut in Somerset this weekend after earning his tour card at the start of this year at European Qualifying School. The young Dutchman beat the likes of former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton and Callan Rydz to reach the Last 8 in Barnsley and reached a Final on the Pro Tour last year, without having a tour card.

Stack Attack enjoyed his darts last year, playing in the Online Live League on numerous occasions as well as the PDC Challenge Tour. His strong form saw him qualify for the Ally Pally where he lost in the First Round to Andrew Gilding, as he made his debut on the world stage.

The winner will face former Grand Slam champion Scott Waites in the Second Round on Stage 7 later during the afternoon session on Friday.

Josh Payne will take to the main stage in the second match on Friday, as the Maximum prepares to face recent MODUS Super Series winner Jelle Klaasen in the First Round.

The 29-year-old from Gravesend also claimed success in the MODUS run events during 2022, going on to earn a tour card at UK Qualifying School in Barnsley after winning the 3rd Final stage competition in Milton Keynes, beating Chris Quantock 6-5 in the Final.

The Red Dragon player featured last weekend at the Baltic Sea Darts Open: the first PDC Euro Tour of the year in Kiel Germany.

Payne will know of the threat of his opponent, with Klaasen in solid form after beating Jack Main 4-3 in the Grand Final of Week 3 in Portsmouth to earn his place in Champions Week of the Super Series.

This match should be an intriguing one with the winner set to play Ricardo Pietreczko in the Second Round on Stage 6.

2021 runner-up Luke Humphries will also enter this year’s event in round four, having catapulted himself into the world’s top five following a breakthrough 2022 campaign.

The 28-year-old scooped four European Tour titles last year to reaffirm his big stage credentials, and he’s bidding to cement his progress by landing a first televised ranking title in the South West.

“Winning a big TV title is the next step for me,” said Humphries, who was beaten by three-time champion Wade in the 2021 decider.

“I have won everything else, so the next step is to win that major title. I’m going to keep searching for it, and if I turn up and play like I can at any TV event, it can happen.

“I love playing at Minehead. I made the final of the UK Open in 2021 and the semi-finals of the Players Championship Finals last year, so hopefully my good record at Butlin’s continues!

“It would be a big statement if I could pick up that title this weekend. I’m playing well, my performances have been there, so it’s a great opportunity for me.”

Cazoo UK Open 2023: Order of Play

Stage 1:

Luke Littler v Nick Fullwell (R1)
Jelle Klaasen v Josh Payne (R1)
Danny Jansen v Bradley Brooks (R2)
Connor Scutt v Jimmy Hendriks (R2)
James Richardson/ Tricole v Richie Burnett (R2)
Keegan Brown v Girvan/ Zonneveld (R2)
Adrian Lewis v Joe Murnan (R3)
Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Montgomery/ Jenkins/ Warner v Simon Whitlock (R3)

Stage 2:

Gian van Veen v Robert Owen (R1)
James Richardson v Thibault Tricole (R1)
Lukas Wenig v Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki v Joshua Richardson (R1)
Jules van Dongen v Kevin Doets (R2)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Littler/ Fullwell (R2)
Matt Campbell v Van Trijp/ Holt (R2)
Labre/ Klose v Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Florian Hempel v Jamie Hughes (R3)
Boris Krcmar v Jermaine Wattimena (R3)
Steve Beaton v Scutt/ Hendriks (R3)
Scott Williams v Klaasen/ Payne/ Pietreczko (R3)

Stage 3:

Jurjen van der Velde v Brett Claydon (R1)
Geert Nentjes v Christian Kist (R1)
Arron Monk v Vladimir Andersen (R1)
Dan Read v Callum Loose (R1)
Jose Justicia v Micky Mansell (R2)
Cameron Menzies v Moston/ Neyens (R2)
Ted Evetts v McEwan/ Lauby (R2)
L Gurney/ Pilgrim v Burton/ Smith-Neale (R2)
William O’Connor v Devon Peterson (R3)
Lewy Williams v Jansen/ Brooks (R3)
Van Dongen/ Doets v Szaganski/ Kciuk (R3)
Labre/ Klose/ Vandenbogaerde v Adam Gawlas (R3)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/ Littler/ Fullwell v Ritchie Edhouse

Stage 4:

Conor Heneghan v Daniel Lee (R1)
Graham Hall v Jeffrey Sparidaans (R1)
Jacques Labre v Daniel Klose (R1)
Karel Sedlacek v Harry Lane (R1)
Luc Peters v James Wilson (R2)
Damian Mol v Davey/ L Evans (R2)
Read/ Loose v Brian Raman (R2)
Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson v White/ Roelofs (R2)
Ryan Joyce v Mike de Decker (R3)
Menzies/ Moston/ Neyens v Ian White (R3)
Jim Williams v Van Veen/ Owen/ Waites (R3)
Slevin/ Kuivenhoven/ Wilkinson v Monk/ Andersen/ Goffin/ Knops (R3)

Stage 5:

Andy Jenkins v Adam Warner (R1)
Noel Grant v Graham Usher (R1)
Nathan Girvan v Niels Zonneveld (R1)
Michael Flynn v Jonathan Wynn (R1)
Richard Veenstra v Jamie Clark (R2)
Taylor/ Webster v Tony Martinez (R2)
Heneghan/ Lee v Rupprecht/ Kenny (R2)
Hall/ Sparidaans v Thomas Banks (R2)
Martijn Kleermaker v Steve Lennon (R3)
Martin Lukeman v Read/ Loose/ Raman (R3)
Madars Razma v Cole/ Van der Wal/ Killington (R3)
James Richardson/ Tricole/ Burnett v Van der Velde/ Claydon/ R Huybrechts (R3)

Stage 6:

Callum Goffin v Robbie Knops (R1)
Pascal Rupprecht v Nick Kenny (R1)
Jarred Cole v Jitse van der Wal (R1)
Jim McEwan v Danny Lauby (R1)
Kevin Burness v Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Grant/ Usher v John O’Shea (R2)
Wenig/ De Zwaan v Nentjes/ Kist (R2)
Klaasen/ Payne v Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Justicia/ Mansell (R3)
Keane Barry v Mol/ Davey/ L Evans (R3)
Jeff Smith v Campbell/ Van Trijp/ Holt (R3)
Flynn/ Wynn/ Sedlacek/ Lane v L Gurney/ Pilgrim/ Burton/ Smith-Neale

Stage 7:

Jim Moston v Kenny Neyens (R1)
Dylan Slevin v Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)
Gary Davey v Lee Evans (R1)
Danny Van Trijp v Christopher Holt (R1)
Radek Szaganski v Krzysztof Kciuk (R2)
Van Veen/ Owen v Scott Waites (R2)
Van der Velde/ Claydon v Ronny Huybrechts (R2)
Flynn/ Wynn v Sedlacek/ Lane (R2)
Ryan Meikle v Burness/ Rafferty (R3)
Andrew Gilding v Taylor/ Webster/ Martinez (R3)
Brown/ Girvan/ Zonneveld v Darius Labanauskas (R3)
Evetts/ McEwan/ Lauby v Bialecki/ Joshua Richardson/ S White/ Roelofs (R3)

Stage 8:

Dom Taylor v Darren Webster (R1)
Lewis Gurney v Darryl Pilgrim (R1)
Stuart White v Owen Roelofs (R1)
Stephen Burton v Adam Smith-Neale (R1)
Ross Montgomery v Jenkins/ Warner (R2)
Slevin/ Kuivenhoven v Shaun Wilkinson (R2)
Cole/ Van der Wal v George Killington (R2)
Monk/ Andersen v Goffin/ Knops (R2)
Veenstra/ Clark v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)
Ricky Evans v Grant/ Usher/ O’Shea (R3)
Wenig/ De Zwaan/ Nentjes/ Kist v Peters/ Wilson (R3)
Hall/ Sparidaans / Banks v Heneghan/ Lee/ Rupprecht/ Kenny (R3)

—–Ends—–

Images: PDC

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