Raymond van Barneveld qualified for the final day of the World Series Finals at the AFAS Live in Amsterdam with a delightful victory over world champion Michael Smith.
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Van Barneveld led by one in the third leg via an 11-darter, but Smith immediately broke back with a 100 check-out. The next four legs went with the darts, including a brilliant 156 finish by 'Barney'.
He then broke Smith in the ninth leg with a nice 105 finish. Van Barneveld then started the tenth leg moderately, but Smith could not take advantage of it. That allowed Van Barneveld to secure a spot in the quarterfinals with a 19-darter.
While Nathan Aspinall though on the other hand made sure that it wasn't going to be two Dutchman through in a row with 'The Asp' denting home hopes sealing a 6-3 win over Danny Noppert. He went 3-0 up, but Noppert came back to 3-2. 'The Asp' followed with a 170 checkout to keep him at arms length before sealing the deal with three 180's and a 95 average.
The prize pool for this event contains a total of 300,000 pounds. However, the prize money won does not count toward the PDC Order of Merit or other money rankings.
All participants are guaranteed £5,000 in prize money. This amount could eventually rise to a sum of £70,000 in prize money for the winner.
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What are the World Series of Darts?
The World Series tournaments are international events of the PDC organized to promote the sport beyond the (Western) European borders.
Earlier this year, tournaments also took place in Bahrain, Denmark, the United States, Poland, New Zealand and Australia. Past World Series tournaments have also been scheduled in Dubai, Singapore, Japan, Scotland, China, Germany and Austria.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
BARNEY AWESOME IN AMSTERDAM 🇳🇱🔥
A moment to savour for Raymond van Barneveld with one of his best results since his return, beating World Champion Michael Smith 6-4 in Amsterdam!
The Dutchman still has that sauce 💪
📺 bit.ly/WSF23Live | #WSFinals R2