The UK Open 2025 are in the starting blocks. The PDC, the strongest participant Major tournament, starts the first four rounds this Friday. Sport1 shows the complete spectacle live on free TV.
158 players, twelve Germans, eight stages: On Friday afternoon (from 12 p.m. live on free TV and livestream), the 23rd edition of the UK Open in Butlin’s Minhead Resort starts.
The special thing about the major tournament is that there is no seed list-a unique selling point on the PDC tour. That is why the tournament is often referred to as the “Fa Cup des Darts”. The first four rounds will be completed on Friday.
Dimitri van den Bergh won the title 2024
The top players can therefore meet at any time from the fourth round. In the first rounds, from which the stars are excluded according to their world ranking position, the tour map owners of the rear places start.
From a German perspective, this requires Niko Springer, Kai Gotthardt, Dominik Greillich, Maximilian Czerwinski, Leon Weber and Max Hopp.
Lukas little starts in round two, Gabriel Clemens and Florian Hempel get into the action in round three. The “German Giant” did not get easy on with Ricky Evans, Hempel meets Jermaine Wattimena on the shaped Dutch.
Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko are among the best 32 players in the world and are therefore set for the fourth round. Your opponents have not yet been determined, only after the end of the third round they will be drawn – so there could also be a direct duel. Tim Wolters had to cancel his start according to PDC information for medical reasons.
Last year Dimitri van den Bergh defeated number one in the world, Luke Humphries, dramatically in the final with 11:10. The Belgian survived two matchdarts and only met his seventh attempt.
Can van den Bergh defend his title? This was previously only possible by the legends Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor as well as Michael van Gerwen. “It is an open draw; You never know who you will play against. But there is no reason why I can’t make it again, ”said the Belgian.
At least with the bookmakers, the Van den Bergh is not at the top. There world champion Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price are acted as the big favorites. In view of the special format of the UK Open, this is difficult to say because the players can meet at an early stage.
The winner of the tournament receives a prize money of 100,000 pounds (around 120,000 euros), a total of £ 600,000 (around 720,000 euros) is distributed.