Preview - WDF World Championship
Wim Blokpoel - Saturday darts will finally return to the Lakeside, as the 2022 WDF World Championship will be held there! And there are Dutch players involved!
The Dutchies have a lot of history at Lakeside. Of course Dutch darting legend Raymond van Barneveld won 4 of his 5 World Titles at the Lakeside. But Jelle Klaasen also became a Aorld Champion at Lakeside, beating Van Barneveld in an epic final in 2006. And in 2012 debutant Christian Kist caused a massive upset, by winning the title after beating Tony O’Shea in the final.
One Dutchman involved in the tournament, is Caller Marco Meijer! But there are also numerous Dutch participants. The first one to play is Marjolein Noijens as she makes her Ladies World Championship debut on saturday afternoon, taking on fellow debutant Amanda Harwood in the last 24. Noijens won the qualifier for the Ladies World Championship in Assen, last december.
Saturday evening we will already see the next Dutch lady in action, as Priscilla Steenbergen makes her debut as well. Having qualified after the withdrawal of Fallon Sherrock, Steenbergen will now take on fellow debutant Darlene van Sleeuwen from Canada (who also has Dutch roots!)
Sunday afternoon, the first Dutch man is in action, as Ryan de Vreede plays his last 48 game against Francesco Raschini, a first ever Italian at a darts World Championship. De Vreede already played at Lakeside once in 2016, six years ago, where he was the 16th seed but lost his first game against legendary American Larry Butler. De Vreede makes his rerurn after winning one of the 2 men World Championship qualifiers in Assen last december. On monday evening, number 9 seed Richard Veenstra starts his World Championship! Veenstra plays either Andreas Harrysson from Sweden or Lázlo Kadar from Romania. It is Veenstra’s 6th consecutive World Championship, his best run so far was to the semi-finals on his debut in 2016 where he lost in a deciding set, 5-6 to Jeff Smith. Veenstra had a great year after winning the Denmark Masters and Italian Grand Masters in 2021, so he might do well again this year!
Tuesday afternoon sees Anca Zijlstra return to the Lakeside. She played there in 2016 and 2017 as well, where she made the quarter-finals in 2016 but lost in an all Dutch tie to Aileen de Graaf. Zijlstra won the Denmark Masters in 2021, and mainly because of that big win she is the third seed! Zijlstra plays the winner of Steenbergen against Van Sleeuwen so we might have an all Dutch last 16 ladies tie! Tuesday evening sees Dutch American Jules van Dongen make his Lakeside debut! Despite winning his tourcard earlier this year, the PDC allowed Van Dongen to play in this event, and so he will as the 11th seed. Former Dutch Darts guest Van Dongen will start in the last 32 against the winner of De Vreede against Raschini so potentially two Dutch ties in one day!
Aileen de Graaf will have to wait a very long time to start her event. She starts in the last 16 and plays the very final Ladies last 16 game on thursday evening. It’s 8 World Championships in a row for Aileen now, she made the semi-finals twice in 2016 and 2017, and four quarter-finals in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020! It is a tough draw for De Graaf despite being the 4th seed this year, as she takes on the winner of Laura Turner against defending vhampion Mikuru Suzuki. Suzuki especially, looks in great form with some good performances in the Modus Online Live League this week. Finally, we have another Dutch participant at Lakeside! 2021 JDC World Champion Bradly Roes will try to make it 2 World Titles in 2 years, as he plays the WDF Boys World Championship semi-finals against German Luis Liptow. Roes then could potentially meet Leighton Bennett in the final, who he beat in the JDC final after surviving loads of matchdarts!
The WDF World Championship will be broadcasted on multiple channels and streams, in most countries it will be on Eurosport.
