Sporting Life
Rock and MVG will meet for a third time
Rock and MVG will meet for a third time

Darts results: Michael van Gerwen and Josh Rock set for mouthwatering Sunday showdown

By Sporting Life
Darts
Sat May 13, 2023 · 3y ago

Michael van Gerwen and Josh Rock will go head-to-head in the Czech Darts Open after both came through their opening matches on Saturday.

Van Gerwen wasn't at his best in beating Mike De Decker 6-4, winning just one leg in fewer than 15 darts, whereas Rock did so five times in a more convincing 6-3 defeat of Dalibor Smolik.

The pair met for the first time at last year's Grand Slam of Darts where van Gerwen ran out a narrow winner, but he'll be gunning for revenge after a 7-0 humbling at the hands of Rock on their second meeting, just last month.

It was a day which saw 14 of the 16 seeds find a way through to Sunday, with Martin Schindler and Joe Cullen the two high-profile departures.

Schindler's 6-3 defeat to Kim Huybrechts takes little explaining, whereas Cullen may be left scratching his head having lost 6-4 to home favourite Karel Sedlacek.

Cullen produced the higher average, led the 180s count 6-0 and threw a match-high 145 checkout, missing just two darts at double for good measure, and yet found himself on the wrong end of an upset.

Sedlacek took out 121 for a 2-0 lead before Cullen pegged him back with that 145, only for Sedlacek to rattle off three legs in a row to move within one of the third round.

Cullen then produced successive legs of 12, 11 and 11 darts to get within one, but Sedlacek pounded when Cullen missed bullseye to force a decider.

Peter Wright remained below his best but scraped through 6-5 against Brendan Dolan, while Nathan Aspinall averaged over 103 to beat Martin Lukeman 6-4.

Czech Darts Open: Draw & results

  • Seedings in brackets

ROUND THREE

  • (6) Rob Cross v Karel Sedlacek
  • (3) Michael van Gerwen v (14) Josh Rock
  • (7) Nathan Aspinall v (10) Ryan Searle
  • (2) Dave Chisnall v (15) Andrew Gilding
  • (5) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (12) Jonny Clayton
  • (4) Damon Heta v Kim Huybrechts
  • (8) Danny Noppert v (9) Peter Wright
  • (1) Luke Humphries v (16) Dimitri Van den Bergh

ROUND TWO

Seeds enter in round two on Saturday

  • (6) Rob Cross 6-3 Madars Razma
  • (11) Joe Cullen 4-6 Karel Sedlacek
  • (3) Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Mike De Decker
  • (14) Josh Rock 6-3 Dalibor Smolik
  • (7) Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Martin Lukeman
  • (10) Ryan Searle 6-4 Steve Beaton
  • (2) Dave Chisnall 6-2 Geert Nentjes
  • (15) Andrew Gilding 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
  • (5) Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Mario Vandenbogaerde
  • (12) Jonny Clayton 6-1 Martijn Kleermaker
  • (4) Damon Heta 6-2 Dylan Slevin
  • (13) Martin Schindler 3-6 Kim Huybrechts
  • (8) Danny Noppert 6-4 Jose De Sousa
  • (9) Peter Wright 6-5 Brendan Dolan
  • (1) Luke Humphries 6-4 Ross Smith
  • (16) Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Stefan Bellmont

ROUND ONE

Winners to play the seeds

  • Adam Gawlas 3-6 Madars Razma
  • Karel Sedlacek 6-5 Jeffrey Sparidaans
  • Ian White 4-6 Mike De Decker
  • Richard Veenstra 4-6 Dalibor Smolik
  • Martin Lukeman 6-2 Patrik Kovacs
  • Steve Beaton 6-4 Darius Labanauskas
  • Geert Nentjes 6-5 David Pisek
  • Jamie Hughes 1-6 Vincent van der Voort
  • Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-5 Matt Campbell
  • Martijn Kleermaker 6-3 Stephen Bunting
  • Dylan Slevin 6-3 Filip Sebesta
  • Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Callan Rydz
  • Jose De Sousa 6-4 Bradley Brooks
  • Jelle Klaasen 4-6 Brendan Dolan
  • Ross Smith 6-3 Jani Laurila
  • Stefan Bellmont 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez

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