Michael van Gerwen was also off the podium in the fourth round of the English Open at Minehead, the day after his Premier League win. Tired “Mighty Mike” didn’t play a great game but beat England’s David Chisnall 10-8. Danny Noppert also continued.
Defending champion Noppert, who defeated Michael Smith in the final of the prestigious grand tournament last year, started the fourth round well, beating Welsh Jim Williams 10:8. Dirk van Duijvenbode continued at the expense of the Polish Krzysztof Ratajski (10-8).
Raymond van Barneveld was unlucky in the draw. ‘Barney’ had to compete against Rob Cross, who was ranked number six in the PDC Order of Merit. Van Barneveld was defeated 9-10 in the decisive stage. Vincent van der Voort was also eliminated by Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan (9-10).
After each round, lots are drawn for the next round in the English seaside town and each player can compete against other players. Because of this format, the UK Open is also known as the FA Cup of Darts after the famous English cup football tournament.
Noppert became the fourth Dutchman to win the grand tournament last year. Roland Scholten (2004), Van Barneveld (2006, 2007) and Van Gerwen (2015, 2016, 2020) had previously won the main prize. Phil Taylor is the record holder with five championships.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
