2023 Bahrain Darts Masters preview

World Series of Darts

The 2023 Bahrain Darts Masters begins on Thursday, as World Champion Michael Smith makes his first competitive appearance since lifting The Sid Waddell Trophy last week.

Van Barneveld relishing World Series of Darts return in Bahrain

World Series of Darts

Raymond van Barneveld is determined to show that he can still compete with the sport’s elite when he makes his World Series of Darts return at the Bahrain Darts Masters.

World Champion Smith draws local star in Bahrain Darts Masters

World Series of Darts

Michael Smith will make his first competitive outing as World Champion when he takes on local qualifier Abdulnasser Yusuf in the first round of the Bahrain Darts Masters.

Bahrain Darts Masters spot for Clayton

World Series of Darts

Jonny Clayton will complete the line-up of PDC representatives for the inaugural Bahrain Darts Masters on January 12-13.

Van den Bergh headlines 2023 Nordic Darts Masters field

World Series of Darts

Reigning champion Dimitri Van den Bergh will headline the field at the 2023 Nordic Darts Masters on January 20-21, with the stars for the World Series of Darts event in Copenhagen now confirmed.

Mahmood & Yusuf qualify for Bahrain Darts Masters

World Series of Darts

Bassim Mahmood and Abdulnaser Yusuf have secured their qualification for the 2023 Bahrain Darts Masters

Humphries & Van Barneveld among Bahrain Darts Masters field

World Series of Darts

Luke Humphries will make his World Series of Darts debut at the inaugural Bahrain Darts Masters in January, as Raymond van Barneveld returns to the global stage.

New York, Wollongong & Hamilton 2023 ticket info confirmed

World Series of Darts

Tickets for the 2023 World Series of Darts events in New York, Wollongong and Hamilton will go on sale from early December.

World Series of Darts to debut in Bahrain in January 2023

World Series of Darts

Bahrain International Circuit, together with sports promoter CBX, has teamed up with the PDC to bring the World Series of Darts to Bahrain for the first time.

World Series of Darts to break new ground as 2023 schedule announced

World Series of Darts

The PDC World Series of Darts will break new ground in 2023 with the introduction of a tournament in Bahrain in January.

The German Darts Masters saw eight top PDC stars take on eight leading German players at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne on July 12-13.

2019 German Darts Masters
July 12-13, LANXESS Arena, Cologne
PDC Competitors:
Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Daryl Gurney, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Mensur Suljovic, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld
German Competitors: Max Hopp, Martin Schindler, Gabriel Clemens, Nico Kurz, Kevin Munch, Robert Marijanovic, Christian Bunse, Maik Langendorf

Draw Bracket
(1) Peter Wright v Robert Marijanovic
Gary Anderson v Nico Kurz
(4) Daryl Gurney v Christian Bunse
James Wade v Kevin Munch
(2) Michael van Gerwen v Martin Schindler
Mensur Suljovic v Maik Langendorf
(3) Rob Cross v Max Hopp
Raymond van Barneveld v Gabriel Clemens

Schedule of Play
Friday July 12
First Round

James Wade 6-2 Kevin Munch
Nico Kurz 6-4 Gary Anderson
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Christian Bunse
Peter Wright 6-4 Robert Marijanovic
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Maik Langendorf
Martin Schindler 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Rob Cross 6-4 Max Hopp

Saturday July 13 (2000 start local time)
Quarter-Finals
Peter Wright 8-6 Nico Kurz
James Wade 8-0 Daryl Gurney
Mensur Suljovic 8-2 Martin Schindler
Gabriel Clemens 8-5 Rob Cross
 
Semi-Finals
Peter Wright 8-4 James Wade
Gabriel Clemens 8-3 Mensur Suljovic

Final
Peter Wright 8-6 Gabriel Clemens
All games best of 15 legs

Peter Wright won the German Darts Masters for a second time in three years in Cologne on Saturday.

Wright, who won the 2017 title in Dusseldorf, defeated rising German star Gabriel Clemens 8-6 in the final in front of 8,000 fans at the Lanxess Arena to claim a third World Series of Darts crown.

The Scottish World Cup winner last lifted an individual TV title at the Melbourne Darts Masters in August 2018, but a series of clinical displays saw him overcome Nico Kurz, James Wade and Clemens in a marathon final session.

"It feels great to win this title again, I thought I was in the form to win it but you never know because there are so many good players who can beat you," said Wright, who also beat Germany's Robert Marijanovic in Friday's last 16.

"There were a few moments where I was lucky but I think I was skilful enough and mentally strong enough to win it. I'm coming back to my best but I'm not there yet.

"I've played Gabriel a couple of times and he's an amazing player, hats off to him. German darts has gone through an incredible rise and it's only going to keep growing, this tournament showed that."

Starring in his first televised final, Clemens got off to a perfect start by taking a 2-0 lead, and after Wright hit a 116 to get his first leg on the board, the German fired in a roof-raising 134 checkout using two double tops to regain his two-leg advantage.

Undeterred, Wright broke straight back and after the next two legs went with throw, Clemens missed two darts to go 5-3 up, allowing Wright to hit tops to level and then produce an 11-dart leg to hit the front for the first time at 5-4.

With time running out for Clemens to claw himself back into the contest, the German missed a dart at double 16 to make it 6-6, and Wright made no mistake on the same target to go within a leg of the title.

A determined Clemens refused to give in as he made it 7-6, but it was to be Wright's night as the former UK Open champion showed composure to find the match-winning double four and clinch the £20,000 top prize.

Despite defeat at the final hurdle, the tournament will go down as a landmark moment for three-time ProTour runner-up Clemens who reached his first televised final in front of an adoring German crowd.

The German number three followed up his opening round win over Raymond van Barneveld with victories over former World Champion Rob Cross and reigning German Darts Masters champion Mensur Suljovic in just his fifth TV event.