PREVIEW: 2024 Czech Darts Open as the PDC European Tour season comes to a conclusion in Prague

The 2024 Czech Darts Open is set to begin on Friday, October 18th, at the PVA EXPO Praha in Prague, Czech Republic, with an exciting weekend of darts scheduled until Sunday, October 20th. This Czech Darts Open marks the 13th event of the PDC European Tour, and the stakes are high, with 48 players competing for a total prize pot of £175,000. Darts fans will be eager to see if the event can live up to the drama of last weekend’s unforgettable World Grand Prix final.

In a stunning turn of events, Mike De Decker shocked the darts world by defeating World Champion Luke Humphries 6-4 in the final to win the 2024 World Grand Prix in Leicester. The 28-year-old Belgian, who entered the tournament as an underdog, made history with a performance that will long be remembered in darts. Now, as the dust settles from that spectacle, all eyes are turning to Prague. Can the Czech Darts Open deliver the same level of excitement and drama?

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Defending champion Peter Wright returns to Prague

Peter Wright, the defending champion, will certainly hope to rekindle some of his own magic from last year. In 2023, Wright bounced back from a challenging start to the season, particularly a disappointing Premier League campaign, to triumph in Prague. His victory over Dave Chisnall in the final was a significant milestone, marking his first European Tour win since September 2022 and a clear up turn in form.

Wright’s performance in last year’s final was a reminder of the talent the Scotsman possesses. He broke Chisnall’s throw with a clinical 100 checkout to get off to a strong start. Despite some resistance from Chisnall, who levelled the match at 2-2, Wright again found a 100 checkout to regain control. As the match progressed, Wright extended his lead, hitting a 76 checkout to go 5-3 up and putting Chisnall under significant pressure. Although Chisnall fought back, Wright’s resilience shone through, especially in the pivotal leg when both players exchanged 180s before Wright sealed the victory on double 10.

However, Wright’s recent form has been inconsistent, as evidenced by his early exit from last week’s World Grand Prix. A first-round defeat was a major disappointment for the Scotsman, and he will be looking to make amends in Prague. Fans will be eager to see whether Wright can reclaim the form that brought him success last year and if he can mount another challenge for the title.

Format Changes in 2024

The 2024 Czech Darts Open also brings with it the same changes that we’ve seen across the European tour this year. For the first time, both the PDC Order of Merit and the PDC ProTour Order of Merit rankings have been used to determine 32 of the 48 entrants for the event. This new qualification system has brought more competition and a greater level of intrigue to the European Tour this year.

The top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualified for the event, along with the highest-ranked players on the PDC ProTour Order of Merit after the PDC Order of Merit players were removed. From these 32 players, the 16 highest-ranked on the ProTour Order of Merit were seeded for the event, meaning they will enter the competition in the second round. The remaining 16 places were awarded to players from various qualifiers, adding further excitement to the early stages of the tournament.

Matches up until the quarterfinals will be played in a best-of-11 legs format, with the semifinals increasing to a best-of-13 legs, and the final being decided in a best-of-15 legs contest. This change in format ensures a fast-paced, high-stakes environment from the very beginning.

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The seeded players and key contenders

The seeded players for this year’s tournament include some of the biggest names in darts. Dave Chisnall is the number 1 seed, and he will be looking to go one better after his runner-up finish last year. Other top seeds include Ross Smith, World Champion Luke Humphries, and rising star Josh Rock.

Humphries, the current World Champion, comes into the Czech Darts Open as the bookmakers’ favourite. Despite his defeat in last week’s World Grand Prix final, he remains a formidable force and will be determined to bounce back in Prague. His consistency throughout the season and his ability to perform in major tournaments make him the man to beat.

Another player to watch closely is Mike De Decker. After his historic victory in Leicester, the Belgian will be riding high on confidence. De Decker’s triumph against Humphries in the World Grand Prix final has transformed him from a relative outsider into one of the most talked-about players in the sport. It will be fascinating to see if he can carry this momentum into the Czech Darts Open.

Michael van Gerwen, another one of the top seeds, will be looking to bounce back after a shock defeat last weekend. Van Gerwen was whitewashed by Daryl Gurney in the World Grand Prix, marking the first time in 13 years that he had been whitewashed in a televised ranking match. This defeat will rank as one of the worst of his career, and the three-time World Champion will undoubtedly be eager to set the record straight in Prague.

Young sensation Luke Littler is another name that darts fans will be keeping a close eye on. The 17-year-old prodigy struggled in Leicester, suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Rob Cross, but he remains one of the sport’s most exciting talents. Littler will be looking to regain his form and make a deep run in Prague.

Last time out on the European Tour

The last leg of the European Tour took place in September at the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel, where Martin Schindler emerged victorious in a thrilling final. Schindler edged past Ryan Searle 7-6, in a match that saw Searle miss seven darts to claim his first Euro Tour title. The tension and drama in Basel set a high bar for what fans can expect in Prague.

The Czech Darts Open is the final event of the 2024 European Tour, with qualification for the European Championship on the line. The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit will qualify for the prestigious event, which will be held later this month in Germany. As a result, the stakes in Prague are higher than ever, with players battling for the final spots in the European Championship field.

What to expect in Prague

As the 2024 Czech Darts Open gets underway, the tournament promises to be an exciting and unpredictable event. With defending champion Peter Wright looking to regain his form, World Champion Luke Humphries eager to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment, and Mike De Decker aiming to build on his historic victory, the stage is set for a thrilling weekend of darts in Prague.

The end of the European Tour season adds an extra layer of intrigue, with qualification for the European Championship on the line. Will one of the top seeds rise to the occasion, or will another underdog make headlines, just as De Decker did in Leicester? Fans won’t have to wait long to find out as the Czech Darts Open kicks off on Friday, October 18th.

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Schedule Czech Darts Open 2024

Friday, Oct. 18

First round

Afternoon session (from 12 p.m.)

Robert Owen v Niels Zonneveld

Jermaine Wattimena v Patrik Kovacs

Ritchie Edhouse v Jiri Brejcha

Florian Hempel v Alan Soutar

Krzysztof Ratajski v Madars Razma

Brendan Dolan v Gabriel Clemens

Martin Lukeman v Callan Rydz

Joe Cullen v Pavel Drtil

Evening session (from 6 p.m.)

Luke Woodhouse v Marko Kantele

James Wade v Daniel Markovsky

Mike De Decker v Brett Claydon

Michal Smejda v Nathan Aspinall

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jonny Clayton

Daryl Gurney v Raymond van Barneveld

Cameron Menzies v Peter Wright

Kevin Doets v Michael Smith

Saturday, Oct. 19

Second round

Afternoon session (from 12 p.m.)

Ricardo Pietreczko v Lukeman/Rydz

Damon Heta v Dolan/Clemens

Chris Dobey v Wattimena/Kovacs

Josh Rock v Cullen/Drtil

Kim Huybrechts v Woodhouse/Kantele

Ross Smith v Hempel/Soutar

Danny Noppert v De Decker/Claydon

Ryan Searle v Doets/M Smith

Evening session (from 6 p.m.)

Gian van Veen v Wade/Markovsky

Dave Chisnall v Owen/Zonneveld

Gerwyn Price v Gurney/Van Barneveld

Stephen Bunting v Van den Bergh/Clayton

Michael van Gerwen v Ratajski/Razma

Luke Littler v Smejda/Aspinall

Luke Humphries v Edhouse/Brejcha

Martin Schindler v Menzies/Wright

Sunday, Oct. 20

Afternoon session (from 12 p.m.)

Third Round

Evening session (from 6 p.m.)

Quarterfinal

Semifinals

Final