"Nobody really wants that" - Kevin Doets admits unhappiness at having to play in opening match of PDC World Darts Championship
PDCThursday, 30 November 2023 at 10:00
Kevin Doets will make his debut at this year's PDC World Darts Championship. The 25-year-old Dutchman will take on American Stowe Buntz in the opening round.
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Buntz still surprisingly reached the quarterfinals at the past Grand Slam of Darts earlier this year. "I saw him play there and he did extremely well," Doets told Viaplay. "But actually it doesn't matter who you have to play against in the first round, I just go from my own strength."
Still, Doets was not entirely happy with the draw. "I have to compete in the very first match of the World Championship, nobody really wants that. But oh well, it's the way it is and I'm going to prepare very well."
The winner of the duel between Doets and Buntz will take on reigning world champion Michael Smith to close out the opening session.
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The stakes are high for Doets at the World Championship. He is currently ranked 66th in the world, the top 64 after the World Championship will retain his Tour Card.
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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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