Dec 20, 2023 at 3:15 PM Update: 28 minutes ago
Niels Zonneveld was eliminated in the second round of the Darts World Cup on Wednesday. The Dutchman lost to the Englishman Ross Smith in London: 3-1. Raymond van Barneveld will face the Pole Radoslaw Szaganski in his second round match.
The 25-year-old Zonneveld had little to say in the first set against Smith (PDC-16), nine years his senior. The world number 83 recovered in the remainder of the match, but was unable to corner his opponent.
Zonneveld threw an average of 90.75 per three darts, while Smith averaged 95.01. The Dutchman only hit a double on his tenth opportunity. Smith underlined his strong performance with a 170 finish in the third set.
Zonneveld started his World Cup well on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Darren Webster. The Uitgeester only had to deal with family news on Tuesday: his grandmother had suddenly died. “Go home quickly tomorrow and then go to grandpa,” he said afterwards Viaplay.
Van Barneveld plays in his second round match against Szaganski, who was too strong for the Finn Marko Kantele on Wednesday: 3-2. The Pole, who is participating in the World Cup for the first time, is number 69 in the world. Van Barneveld is forty places higher. The match between Van Barneveld and Szaganski is scheduled for Friday.
Two more Dutch players will be in action at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday. In the evening session, Richard Veenstra (against Ben Robb) and Christian Kist (against Luke Littler) make an appearance.
Beeld: Getty Images
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2023-12-20 17:11:19
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