UK Open 2021
The 2021 UK Open was played without an audience in the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes due to COVID-19. The tournament was played from 5 to 7 March. All 128 tour ticket holders received an invitation and they competed with the top eight of the 2020 Challenge Tour and the top eight of the 2020 Development Tour. In addition, instead of 16 pub qualifiers, as usual, the field of participants was supplemented with the best 16 players of Q-School who had not already qualified to complete the field of 160 players. Eventually 150 dart players competed at 'the FA Cup of darts'. After three days, James Wade crowned himself champion. It is the third time for the Englishman that he has won this televised tournament. In the final, 'The Machine' defeats Luke Humphries: 11-5.
Wade starts his UK Open in the fourth round with a match against Ryan Joyce. He manages to win this exciting match with 10-9. On the second day, the Englishman is too strong for Rob Cross (10-7) and Gabriel Clemens (10-5). His last two hurdles to the final are Simon Whitlock, who is beaten 10-8 and Gerwyn Price, who was the big pre-tournament favourite as number one in the world. However, 'The Iceman' is put aside 11-6.
The 26-year-old Humphries does not have to toe the oche in his first game, as Justin Pipe has to give a walk-over due to a positive corona test. On Friday-evening, Humphries played his first game, in which he defeated Kim Huybrechts 10-8. Then 'Cool Hand Luke' beats Ryan Searle (10-7) and Martijn Kleermaker (10-4), setting up a quarterfinal tie against Dave Chisnall. His fellow countryman is put aside 10-9. For a place in the final Humphries will compete against none other than Michael van Gerwen. Thanks to an average of more than 107 to Van Gerwen’s 106, Humphries managed to win 11-5 and his first television final in the PDC is a fact. In this Wade turns out to be a size too big.
Two nine-darters were thrown at the 2021 UK Open, both out of the cameras sight and both on the first afternoon. The UK Open had started 9 minutes before when Sebastian Bialecki hits a nine-dart leg against Jim McEwan. A round later Bialecki is again involved in a perfect leg, this time however, his opponent hits it, Dutchman Jitse van der Wal.
Gary Anderson
Danny Baggish
Keane Barry
Sebastian Bialecki
Richie Burnett
Gavin Carlin
Gabriel Clemens
Mike De Decker
Jose de Sousa
Adam Gawlas
Damon Heta
Boris Koltsov
Darius Labanauskas
Harald Leitinger
Kai-Fan Leung
John Michael
Jesús Noguera
Devon Petersen
Madars Razma
Jeff Smith
Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
From: Friday 05 March 2021
Till: Sunday 07 March 2021
Champion
Prize money
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Champion£100,000
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Runner-up£40,000
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Semi finalists£20,000
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Quarter finalists£12,500
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Last 16£7,500
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Last 32£4,000
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Last 64£2,000
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Last 96£1,000
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Total£448,000
