This week’s Darts Newsflash brings exciting updates from across the darting world! Finnish sensation Jani Haavisto made a stunning comeback on the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour, securing a European Tour spot after a 12-year hiatus. The full lineup of 40 nations for the highly anticipated World Cup of Darts has been announced, featuring new and returning teams. We also cover Radek Szaganski’s victory in the Modus Darts Super Series, four new qualifiers for the UK Open, crucial scoring details for the PDC Europe Next Gen event, and results from the SDC Tour, WDF Canterbury Classic, and various regional championships. Plus, a clarification from Philip Brzezinski and a tribute to the late Jan Hlavacek.
Modus Darts Super Series: Szaganski Claims Week 3 Title
Radek Szaganski, known as “Harp Boy,” marked his debut in the Modus Darts Super Series with an immediate victory, winning Week 3 of Season 13. The Polish player defeated Carl Wilson 4-2 in a thrilling final. In the semi-finals, Szaganski overcame Archie Self 4-1, while Wilson beat Lewis Gurney 4-2. Patrik Williams and Paul Hogan exited in the group stage of Finals Night.
Semi-Finals:
- Carl Wilson 4-2 Lewis Gurney (93.84 – 85.07)
- Radek Szaganski 4-1 Archie Self (92.85 – 87.47)
Final:
- Radek Szaganski 4-2 Carl Wilson (88.74 – 80.97)
UK Open Amateur Qualifiers: Four More Join the Ranks
Four additional players secured their spots at the prestigious UK Open this past weekend through amateur qualifiers:
- Oliver King (Norwich)
- 16-year-old Kyle Gilding (Syston)
- Callum Francis (Kings Worthy)
- Clive Langford (Newport)
Jani Haavisto’s Sensational Comeback on the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour
The return of Jani Haavisto to the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour was eagerly anticipated, and the Finnish star certainly delivered. A remarkable 12 years (or 4306 days) after his last victory on the former SDC-Tour, Haavisto made a triumphant comeback. He not only won one of the two Pro Tour tournaments but also qualified for a European Tour Event, the Belgian Darts Open. While Haavisto had to concede the final of the Poland Darts Open qualifier to Andreas Harrysson, Jonas Masalin will make his European Tour debut at the European Darts Trophy. The first Pro Tour event on Saturday was won by Norway’s Cor Dekker, who currently leads the ranking after the opening weekend with €1,800, just ahead of Haavisto (€1,500).
Event Results:
- Event 1 Final: Cor Dekker 6-5 Andreas Harrysson (90.68 – 92.83)
- Event 2 Final: Jani Haavisto 6-4 Oskar Lukasiak (95.47 – 87.14)
European Tour Qualifier Highlights:
- Qualifier ET 1: Andreas Harrysson 6-3 Jani Haavisto
- Qualifier ET 2: Jonas Masalin 6-2 Anton Östlund
- Qualifier ET 3: Jani Haavisto 6-1 Andreas Harrysson (securing his ET spot!)
PDC Europe Next Gen Event: Clarity on Scoring
PDC Europe has clarified the scoring system for the inaugural event of this year’s PDC Europe Next Gen series. The first tournament will count fully towards the ranking. Players will receive half of their entry fee back. Those who did not participate in the second attempt will receive a full refund of their entry fee. The series continues this weekend with two more tournaments in Kalkar.
The World Cup of Darts: 40 Nations Confirmed, Seven Spots Up for Grabs
The PDC officially announced the 40 participating nations for the World Cup of Darts last Friday. Slovenia makes a welcome return to the event for the first time since 2010. Fixed spots for Bahrain and Gibraltar have been removed. Portugal, with José de Sousa, retains its place. Seven additional nations will qualify through upcoming qualifiers:
- Three spots for Asia
- Two spots for the Nordic & Baltic Tour
- One spot for South America
- One spot for Africa (South Africa has already secured their place)
SDC Tour Kicks Off New Season with Double Header
The SDC Tour began its new season this past weekend. Saturday saw Rocco Fulciniti claim the first title, defeating Liam Maendl-Lawrance 7-5 in the final. Lukas Dallmann and Luis Camacho reached the semi-finals. On Sunday, Alex Fehlmann, a World Cup participant, emerged victorious, holding off Marcel Gugger 7-4. Giulio-Luca Giacone and Carsten Hoffmann were semi-finalists.
Event Results:
- Event 1 Final: Rocco Fulciniti 7-5 Liam Maendl-Lawrance (75.01 – 77.20)
- Event 2 Final: Alex Fehlmann 7-4 Marcel Gugger (71.04 – 65.02)
Philip Brzezinski Clarifies MoC Job Rumors
Rumors circulated on social media suggesting Philip Brzezinski had declined a Master of Ceremonies (MoC) role with the PDC. Brzezinski has now clarified in an interview with Laczy Nas Dart that these rumors are untrue. He stated: “I can honestly say, whenever the PDC has offered me something, I have always said yes. I have never turned down an offer. They simply haven’t asked me to do anything in the UK – that’s all.”
Obituary: Jan Hlavacek (1975-2023)
Czech darts player Jan Hlavacek passed away at the age of 48. Hlavacek notably qualified for the inaugural Czech Darts Open in 2019.
Scolia Partners with 2K Dart Software
The automatic scoring system “Scolia” has become a new partner of 2K Dart Software. Integration into the new Web Scorer is expected by mid-April. This partnership aims to enhance the darting experience with advanced scoring technology.
WDF Canterbury Classic: Tata and Harper Crowned Champions
A WDF Silver-ranked tournament, the Canterbury Classic, was held in Christchurch.
Men’s Open:
Defending champion Jonny Tata predictably secured the title, defeating Jack Sheppard 6-4 in the final. John Hurring and Tukina Weko reached the semi-finals. Kayden Milne exited in the quarter-finals, while Haupai Puha and Ben Robb made it to the last 16.
- Semi-Finals:
- Jack Sheppard 5-4 Tukina Weko
- Jonny Tata 5-1 John Hurring
- Final: Jonny Tata 6-4 Jack Sheppard
Women’s Event:
Wendy Harper claimed her first WDF victory in a significant period, defeating Nicole Regnaud 5-3 in the final. Desi Mercer and Olivia Curreen reached the semi-finals.
- Semi-Finals:
- Nicole Regnaud 4-3 Olivia Curreen
- Wendy Harper 4-1 Desi Mercer
- Final: Wendy Harper 5-3 Nicole Regnaud
Regional Darts Action: Germany & Austria
This past weekend also saw significant regional darts tournaments across Germany and Austria.
Germany (DDV):
- Christopher Toonders triumphed in Hessen.
- Kira Mertens was successful in the women’s event in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Lenny Schlüter won the youth tournament in Bremen.
- Großenhain (Saxony) and Gotha (Thuringia) were crowned state champions in the 8-person team championships.
Austria (ÖDV – Bimbuschi Classic):
- Men’s Singles: Franko Giuliani defeated Philipp Manhart, with Rowby-John Rodriguez finishing third.
- Women’s Singles: Catalina Pasa secured victory against Nadine Spet.
- Doubles: Giuliani/Rodriguez were successful.
- Seniors Singles: Rainer Sturm won.
Source: Based on an article from dartn.de.
