UK Open Day 1: 5 Dutchmen in the last 32

Wim Blokpoel - Yesterday the 2021 UK Open Darts started. The first 3 rounds were played, and there were loads of Dutchmen in it. 

We start with round 1, the last 160. 9 Dutchmen had to start in that round. A great amount of 6 managed to win. Unfortunately, Ryan de Vreede lost 1-6 to Peter Hudson. Young talent Luc Peters lost 3-6 to fellow young talent Lewis Williams from Wales, and finally also Lorenzo Pronk lost in round 1, 2-6 to Jason Heaver. But then the good news: 6 Dutch winners! Young talent Damian Mol had an impressive 6-4 win over tourcard holder Ritchie Edhouse, while Gino Vos beat another tourcard holder in Adam Gawlas, 6-4. Kevin Doets beat 2020 World Youth Championship Finalist Joe Davis 6-3, and Maikel Verberk got a 6-4 win over Martin Lukeman. Niels Zonneveld averaged a great 96.2 in a 6-2 victory against Belgian Geert de Vos. Finally Geert Nentjes beat former BDO World Champion Richie Burnett 6-5.

These 6 Dutchmen got into the last 128 where they were joined by 4 more Dutch players. There was an all Dutch clash between Derk Telnekes and Niels Zonneveld, which was won by Telnekes 6-2. Different success came from Jitse van der Wal who hit a nine-darter! Despite that nine-darter, Van der Wal still lost 3-6 to Polish talent Sebastian Bialecki. Who did win (again) was Kevin Doets! Doets averaged 98.4 in a very good contest to beat William Borland 6-4. Maikel Verberk unfortunately, got edged out by Scott Taylor 5-6. Gino Vos got into a last leg himself against Alan Tabern, but Vos did manage to get over the line and win 6-5! Another last leg was for Damian Mol, but he did lose it: 5-6 against former World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton. On stage 2 Martijn Kleermaker had a comfortable 6-3 win over Wayne Jones. There wasn’r much success for the Dutchmen on the main stage though, as Geert Nentjes played there and got smashed 1-6 by Irish Keane Barry. Another main stage Dutchman was 5 time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.  Most people expected much from RVB this tournament, but unfortunately he lost his opening game 3-6 to Alan Soutar. At least there came a little success on the main stage, as Maik Kuivenhovdn got in a tough battle against Russian Boris Koltsov, neither of them got going, but Kuivenhoven still got over the line. So we still have 5 Dutchmen who got into round 3!

Into the last 96 those 5 Dutchmen got joined by 2 more Dutch players. The good day for Kevin Doets unfortunately came to an end, as he lost 4-6 to Irish Steve Lennon, who averaged 99. Derk Telnekes’ tournament ended as well, he was another victim for Polish Sebastian Bialecki, 6-3. Gino Vos had his best ever run at the UK Open, but that was ended here as well, he lost 1-6 to ‘The Rock’ Peter Hudson. Who did win was Martijn Kleermaker. Kleermaker got into the battle of the smallest player vs the tallest player as he played German Martin Schindler. Kleermaker averages 95 and got over the line 6-5! The day was ended for Maik Kuivenhoven though, as he lost 1-6 to Brendan Dolan. Former Lakeside World Champion Jelle Klaasen couldn’t produce a good run like last year, as he lost already in round 3, 3-6 to Andy Boulton who averaged 101,7. Who did win was Almere’s Ron Meulenkamp. Ron the Bomb averaged 96,1 to demolish Eddie Lovely 6-1!

So only 2 Dutch players who last round, but they got joined by 6 Dutch players! On thr main stage we saw 2 Dutchmen in the last 64. Aubergenius Dirk van Duijvenbode had a tough draw in two time world champion Gary Anderson. It was a nailbiting contest, but in the end Dirk got over the line! DVD averaged 101 to win 10-9, and now plays Jonny Clayton in the last 32. Second Dutchman on the main stage was world number two and reigning three time UK Open Champion Michael van Gerwen. MVG played former Lakeside World Champion Scott Mitchell. Another tough opponent for MVG, as he clearly doesn’t like slow players these days. It was another close game, but MVG won as well, 10-8. MVG averaged a good 99, and now plays Mensur Suljovic on the main stage in the last 32, another slow player! MVG’s good mate Vincent van der Voort, doesn’t join him in round 4. VVDV averaged 99.5 but still lost 6-10 to German Max Hopp. Jeffrey de Zwaan lost as well, the former World Matchplay semi-finalist got 1-6 down and couldn’t make a comeback as he lost 5-10 to Devon Petersen. We also lost Jermaine Wattimena, Wattimena was 6-2 up on Callan Rydz but then lost 8 legs on the spin! Which means he lost 6-10 to Rydz, and is dumped out as well! Who did win was Joure’s Danny Noppert who averaged 95 in a great 10-6 victory over Premier League champion Glen Durrant. Strangely enough, this was the first match Noppert ever won at the UK Open!  Noppert gets another tough opponent in round 4, in Dave Chisnall. Ron Meulenkamp also got a round further! Meulenkamp beat Irish Steve Lennon 10-7 and now plays Scottish talent Alan Soutar (the one who beat RVB) in the last 32. Final Dutchman is Martijn Kleermaker. The Dutch Giant won as well! He beat Jamie Hughes 10-8, and now will try to get revenge over Wattimena as Martijn faces Callan Rydz in round 4. 

So today round 4 and 5 will be played, and there are still 5 Dutchmen in the field! Another update will be expected tomorrow morning.