Michael Smith will begin his defence of the Dutch Darts Championship against either Jim Williams or George Killington, with Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen among the 48 players vying for the £30,000 top prize.
The draw and schedule for this weekend’s event now confirmed as Gary Anderson returns to the European Tour stage. The sixth PDC European Tour event of 2023 will take place in Leeuwarden from April 28-30,
The third staging of the £175,000 event will also feature top seed Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton, who is eyeing back-to-back titles following his Austrian Darts Open success last weekend.
Friday’s first round will be broadcast through PDCTV, Viaplay and DAZN – will feature 16 matches across two sessions, including a high-profile clash between Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League star Dimitri Van den Bergh.
Five-time World Champion Van Barneveld will return to home turf against Belgian number one Van den Bergh, with the winner set to take on 11th seed Ryan Searle in round two.
Two-time World Champion Gary Anderson – making his European Tour return following a seven-year hiatus – will also headline Friday’s first-round action when he plays Czech qualifier Roman Benecký.
Emerging Dutch prospect Gian van Veen will meet German number one Gabriel Clemens in another blockbuster tie, with home hope Jermaine Wattimena pitted against European Champion Ross Smith.
Steve Beaton and Kim Huybrechts also collide, while former World Youth Champion Arron Monk faces Ian White, the winner of the inaugural Dutch Darts Championship in 2018.
Austrian Darts Open semi-finalist Daryl Gurney will play Ricardo Pietreczko for a place in the second round, with Krzysztof Ratajski up against Associate Member Qualifier Andy Boulton.
The 16-seeded players enter the fray in Saturday’s second round, as World Champion Smith begins his title defence alongside some of the sport’s top names.
Van Gerwen will be the star attraction in Leeuwarden on Saturday evening, and the third seed will play compatriot Van Veen or World Championship semi-finalist Clemens in his opener.
Meanwhile, Humphries – a winner of four European Tour titles in 2022 – will begin his campaign against European Champion Smith or Wattimena.
Dirk van Duijvenbode will return to home soil against Dylan Slevin or Marcel Hausotter, with Madars Razma or John O’Shea awaiting last year’s runner-up Danny Noppert in round two.
February’s Baltic Sea Darts Open champion Dave Chisnall will play Martin Lukeman or a Host Nation Qualifier at the same stage, with Beaton or Huybrechts set to face fourth seed Damon Heta.
Clayton begins his bid for back-to-back titles against either Alan Soutar or a Host Nation Qualifier, while Graham Hall and Adam Gawlas battle it out for the right to play Austrian Darts Open runner-up Josh Rock.
Nathan Aspinall – who celebrated success on Dutch soil in last week’s Premier League – will aim to repeat that success ahead of his second-round tie against Pietreczko or Gurney.
Anderson or Benecky will meet Germany’s Martin Schindler on Saturday afternoon, while UK Open champion Andrew Gilding faces a potential showdown against 2018 winner White.
Following Saturday’s second round, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
Live coverage of all 2023 European Tour events will be streamed through Viaplay in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and all Nordic & Baltic countries, and through DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Coverage will also be shown on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers worldwide.
The field will be completed on Thursday night, with two places on offer in the Host Nation Qualifier in Leeuwarden.
2023 Dutch Darts Championship
Tournament Draw Bracket – Second Round Onwards
Rob Cross (6) v Keane Barry/Marko Kantele
Ryan Searle (11) v Raymond van Barneveld/Dimitri Van den Bergh
Michael van Gerwen (3) v Gian van Veen/Gabriel Clemens
Martin Schindler (14) v Gary Anderson/Roman Benecky
Michael Smith (7) v Jim Williams/George Killington
Peter Wright (10) v Andy Boulton/Krzysztof Ratajski
Dave Chisnall (2) v Martin Lukeman/Host Nation Qualifier 1
Josh Rock (15) v Graham Hall/Adam Gawlas
Dirk van Duijvenbode (5) v Dylan Slevin/Marcel Hausotter
Joe Cullen (12) v Stephen Bunting/Adam Smith-Neale
Damon Heta (4) v Steve Beaton/Kim Huybrechts
Jonny Clayton (13) v Alan Soutar/Host Nation Qualifier 2
Nathan Aspinall (8) v Ricardo Pietreczko/Daryl Gurney
Danny Noppert (9) v Madars Razma/John O’Shea
Luke Humphries (1) v Ross Smith/Jermaine Wattimena
Andrew Gilding (16) v Ian White/Arron Monk
Schedule of Play
Friday April 28
First Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Graham Hall v Adam Gawlas
Andy Boulton v Krzysztof Ratajski
Alan Soutar v Host Nation Qualifier 2
Madars Razma v John O’Shea
Keane Barry v Marko Kantele
Jim Williams v George Killington
Martin Lukeman v Host Nation Qualifier 1
Dylan Slevin v Marcel Hausotter
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Ian White v Arron Monk
Gian van Veen v Gabriel Clemens
Gary Anderson v Roman Benecky
Stephen Bunting v Adam Smith-Neale
Ricardo Pietreczko v Daryl Gurney
Raymond van Barneveld v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Steve Beaton v Kim Huybrechts
Ross Smith v Jermaine Wattimena
Saturday April 29
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Josh Rock v Hall/Gawlas
Dave Chisnall v Lukeman/HNQ1
Andrew Gilding v White/Monk
Rob Cross v Barry/Kantele
Danny Noppert v Razma/O’Shea
Joe Cullen v Bunting/Smith-Neale
Damon Heta v Beaton/Huybrechts
Martin Schindler v Anderson/Benecky
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Nathan Aspinall v Pietreczko/Gurney
Jonny Clayton v Soutar/HNQ2
Michael Smith v J Williams/Killington
Ryan Searle v Van Barneveld/Van den Bergh
Michael van Gerwen v Van Veen/Clemens
Peter Wright v Boulton/Ratajski
Luke Humphries v R Smith/Wattimena
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Slevin/Hausotter
Sunday April 30
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Sunday’s games are played in Draw Bracket order
Dutch Darts Championship Roll of Honour
2018 – Ian White
2022 – Michael Smith
—–ENDS—–
Image: PDC
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