Darts results: Michael van Gerwen overcomes Gary Anderson at the UK Open

The tournament's return to Butlin's Minehead Resort saw 126 matches played across eight stages on a typically frantic opening day at the annual festival of darts.

The opening four rounds took place across two sessions, with 158 players whittled down to 32.

Reigning champion James Wade was made to work hard in the opening game of his title defence, as he defied a 105.58 average from Steve Lennon to run out a 10-6 victor.

Joining Wade in Saturday afternoon's fifth round are world number one Gerwyn Price, who eased past Krzysztof Ratajski 10-5, and 2017 champion Peter Wright, who got the better of Joe Cullen 10-6.

Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen claimed a 10-7 win over Gary Anderson, who joined Nathan Aspinall, Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld in the list of former champions to fall on Day One.

Aspinall missed four match darts in a deciding leg against Callan Rydz and Lewis squandered a 6-2 lead over Ryan Searle, both in round four, while Van Barneveld fluffed eight match darts against William Borland in round three.

Rob Cross also joined the list of high-profile casualties as he went down 10-7 to German number one Gabriel Clemens.

Former semi-finalist Jelle Klaasen and surprise package Graham Hall were the last two Rileys Qualifiers left standing, but were both eliminated in round four.

Polish youngster Sebastian Bialecki, who qualified via the Development Tour, is the last non-PDC Tour Card Holder remaining in the field and the only player remaining whose campaign began in round one.

Jose Justicia hit the 13th nine-darter in UK Open history, but the Spaniard lost his third round tie against Adam Gawlas.

One of the day's other eye-catching moments came courtesy of Ian White, who pinned a 170 checkout in the deciding leg of his clash with last year's runner-up Luke Humphries.

The draw for the fifth round was made live on the Main Stage at the conclusion of Friday night's action, with Van Gerwen pitted against in-form Australian Damon Heta.

That game is pencilled in to take place on the Main Stage, along with Wright v Simon Whitlock, Price v Jamie Hughes and Searle v Dimitri van den Bergh.

Meanwhile on Stage Two, Wade continues his title defence against Ron Meulenkamp and Jonny Clayton takes on Jose de Sousa in another of the stand-out fifth round ties.

At the conclusion of the fifth round, the draw will be made for the sixth round - which will take place on Saturday evening across two stages.

Sunday's final day of play will see the remaining eight players return to compete for the £100,000 title.

UK Open: Daily schedule & results

Friday March 4
Afternoon Session (1145-1700 GMT live on ITV4. 1100 start on Stages 2-8)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
First, Second & Third Rounds (Best of 11 legs)

• The first round of the multi-board event features Tour Card Holders 97-127 along with 16 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers and 16 players from the Challenge tour and Development Tour. Round two will contain the winners from round one along with Tour Card Holders 65-96. Round three features the winners from round two along with Tour Card Holders 33-64.

Main Stage

• Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-1 Bradley Brooks (R1)
• Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Mark Rice (R1)
• Keane Barry 6-2 David Evans (R2)
• Martin Schindler 6-1 Lewy Williams (R2)
• Connor Scutt 6-3 Jules van Dongen (R2)
• John Henderson 6-2 James Wilson (R2)
• Florian Hempel 6-3 Lukas Wenig (R3)
• William Borland 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld (R3)
• Adrian Lewis 6-0 Fabian Schmutzler (R3)

Stage Two

• Fabian Schmutzler 6-5 Kai Fan Leung (R1)
• Sebastian Bialecki 6-1 Matt Campbell (R1)
• Jules van Dongen 6-5 Mario Vandenbogaerde (R1)
• Danny Lauby 6-5 Niko Springer (R1)
• Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Jon Worsley (R2)
• Danny Baggish 6-5 John Michael (R2)
• Ted Evetts 6-3 Jack Main (R2)
• Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-4 Gordon Mathers (R2)
• Jamie Hughes 6-1 Madars Razma (R3)
• Krzysztof Kciuk 6-4 Ross Smith (R3)
• Martin Schindler 6-2 Jeff Smith (R3)
• Kim Huybrechts 6-2 Luc Peters (R3)

Stage Three

• Ted Evetts 6-4 Nick Fullwell (R1)
• Ryan Harrington 6-2 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
• Richie Burnett 6-3 Tony Martinez (R1)
• Jose Justicia 6-4 Darren Webster (R1)
• Kenny Neyens 6-4 Martin Thomas (R1)
• Berry van Peer 6-3 Kevin Doets (R2)
• Graham Hall 6-5 Andrew Gilding (R2)
• John O'Shea 6-3 Peter Hudson (R2)
• Jim Williams 6-3 Jurjen van der Velde (R2)
• Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Max Hopp (R3)
• Martin Lukeman 6-3 Adam Hunt (R3)
• Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Jason Lowe (R3)
• Andy Boulton 6-5 Danny Lauby (R3)

Stage Four

• George Killington 6-4 Reece Robinson (R1)
• Dan Read 6-3 Diogo Portela (R1)
• Damian Mol 6-5 Josh Rock (R1)
• James Wilson 6-4 Shaun Wilkinson (R1)
• Lukas Wenig 6-1 Keelan Kay (R2)
• Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Cameron Menzies (R2)
• Ryan Harrington 6-3 Richie Burnett (R2)
• Keane Barry 6-2 Jeffrey de Zwaan (R3)
• Graham Hall 6-3 Steve Beaton (R3)
• Maik Kuivenhoven 6-1 John O'Shea (R3)
• Adam Gawlas 6-5 Jose Justicia (R3) - Justicia hits nine-dart finish in leg four
• Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Ross Montgomery (R3)

Stage Five

• Keelan Kay 6-5 Matt Good (R1)
• Jim Williams 6-3 Ryan Murray (R1)
• John O'Shea 6-0 Nathan Rafferty (R1)
• Jurjen van der Velde 6-4 Mickey Mansell (R1)
• Geert Nentjes 6-3 Jake Jones (R2)
• Scott Waites 6-4 Radek Szaganski (R2)
• Jose Justicia 6-2 Eddie Lovely (R2)
• Danny Lauby 6-3 Paul Hogan (R2)
• Sebastian Bialecki 6-2 Keegan Brown (R3)
• Steve West 6-3 Damian Mol (R3)
• Steve Lennon 6-5 Ryan Harrington (R3)
• Niels Zonneveld 6-2 Berry van Peer (R3)

Stage Six

• Ricardo Pietreczko 6-2 Scott Taylor (R1)
• Steve Clayson 6-2 Vladimir Andersen (R1)
• Paul Hogan 6-4 Dom Taylor (R1)
• Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Toni Alcinas (R1)
• Krzysztof Kciuk 6-1 Brett Claydon (R2)
• Martin Lukeman 6-3 Jamie Clark (R2)
• Danny Jansen 6-4 Scott Mitchell (R2)
• Luc Peters 6-2 Geert De Vos (R2)
• Ron Meulenkamp 6-2 Danny Baggish (R3)
• Ricky Evans 6-2 Danny Jansen (R3)
• Darius Labanauskas 6-4 John Henderson (R3)
• Jim Williams 6-5 Alan Soutar (R3)

Stage Seven

• Jimmy Hendriks 6-3 Darren Beveridge (R1)
• Radek Szaganski 6-5 Wesley Plaisier (R1)
• Ross Montgomery 6-3 Reece Colley (R1)
• Danny Jansen 6-2 Liam Meek (R1)
• Zoran Lerchbacher 6-2 Ricardo Pietreczko (R2)
• Sebastian Bialecki 6-5 Joe Murnan (R2)
• Damian Mol 6-3 John Brown (R2)
• Fabian Schmutzler 6-2 Steve Clayson (R2)
• Ryan Joyce 6-0 Mike De Decker (R3)
• Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Ted Evetts (R3)
• Jason Heaver 6-5 Martijn Kleermaker (R3)
• Geert Nentjes 6-5 Kenny Neyens (R3)

Stage Eight

• Lukas Wenig 6-3 Adam Warner (R1)
• Jamie Clark 6-0 Shaun McDonald (R1)
• Graham Hall 6-3 Kevin Burness (R1)
• Luc Peters 6-0 Paul Marsh (R1)
• Adam Gawlas 6-3 George Killington (R2)
• Ross Montgomery 6-2 Dan Read (R2)
• Jason Heaver 6-3 Prakash Jiwa (R2)
• Kenny Neyens 6-4 Jimmy Hendriks (R2)
• Boris Krcmar 6-2 Zoran Lerchbacher (R3)
• William O'Connor 6-5 Connor Scutt (R3)
• Ryan Meikle 6-0 Rowby-John Rodriguez (R3)
• Scott Waites 6-2 Brian Raman (R3)

Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
Fourth Round (Best of 19 legs)

• Players ranked in the world's top 32 join the competition at this point, along with the 32 who have come through the previous three rounds.

Main Stage

• Michael Smith 10-7 Chris Dobey
• Gerwyn Price 10-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
• Michael van Gerwen 10-7 Gary Anderson
• Peter Wright 10-6 Joe Cullen

Stage Two

• Vincent van der Voort 10-5 Jermaine Wattimena
• Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-2 Daryl Gurney
• James Wade 10-6 Steve Lennon
• Callan Rydz 10-9 Nathan Aspinall

Stage Three

• Damon Heta 10-5 Andy Boulton
• Simon Whitlock 10-9 Maik Kuivenhoven
• Boris Krcmar 10-5 Luke Woodhouse
• Ron Meulenkamp 10-9 Krzysztof Kciuk

Stage Four

• Sebastian Bialecki 10-6 Ritchie Edhouse
• William O'Connor 10-7 Jason Heaver
• Devon Petersen 10-6 Jelle Klaasen
• Jose de Sousa 10-7 Steve West

Stage Five

• Martin Schindler 10-8 Ryan Joyce
• Scott Waites 10-5 Glen Durrant
• Dave Chisnall 10-3 Brendan Dolan
• Danny Noppert 10-3 Ryan Meikle

Stage Six

• Stephen Bunting 10-4 Mervyn King
• Geert Nentjes 10-5 Florian Hempel
• Jamie Hughes 10-5 Adam Gawlas
• Ian White 10-9 Luke Humphries

Stage Seven

• Ryan Searle 10-7 Adrian Lewis
• Ricky Evans 10-9 Darius Labanauskas
• Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-6 William Borland
• Gabriel Clemens 10-7 Rob Cross

Stage Eight

• Niels Zonneveld 10-5 Jim Williams
• Mensur Suljovic 10-9 Kim Huybrechts
• Keane Barry 10-7 Graham Hall
• Jonny Clayton 10-9 Martin Lukeman

Saturday March 5
Afternoon Session (1230 start)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
Fifth Round (Best of 19 legs)

Main Stage

• Ryan Searle v Dimitri van den Bergh
• Damon Heta v Michael van Gerwen
• Peter Wright v Simon Whitlock
• Jamie Hughes v Gerwyn Price

Stage Two

• Danny Noppert v Devon Petersen
• Gabriel Clemens v Michael Smith
• Jonny Clayton v Jose de Sousa
• Ron Meulenkamp v James Wade

Stage Three

• Dave Chisnall v Boris Krcmar
• Dirk van Duijvenbode v Martin Schindler
• Niels Zonneveld v Keane Barry
• Callan Rydz v Vincent van der Voort

Stage Four

• Scott Waites v Ricky Evans
• Mensur Suljovic v Geert Nentjes
• Ian White v Sebastian Bialecki
• William O'Connor v Stephen Bunting

Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Sixth Round
Play across two stages

Evening Session (1900 start)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
Sixth Round (Best of 19 legs)

• 8 matches across two stages

Sunday March 6
Afternoon Session (1245 start)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)

• 4 matches on Main Stage

Evening Session (1900 start)
TV Coverage: ITV 4
Semi-Finals (Best of 21 legs)
Final (Best of 21 legs)

• All matches on Main Stage

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