Northern Ireland open title defence against Belgium

Reigning champions Northern Ireland will open their World Cup of Darts title defence against Belgium, as 2022 champions Australia and two-time runners-up Austria crashed out on a bumper day of action in Frankfurt.

Day Two of the annual pairs event saw the group stage action conclude at the Eissporthalle, with two-time winners Wales and hosts Germany safely progressing to the knockout stages.

Belgium also progressed in dramatic fashion, and Mike De Decker and Dimitri Van den Bergh will now take on Northern Ireland’s title holders Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney in a tantalising last 16 showdown.

Following their opening night defeat to Hong Kong, De Decker and Van den Bergh were staring down the barrel in Group B, although they preserved their hopes by sweeping aside Slovenia 4-1.

Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung and Lok Yin Lee required just three legs against Slovenia to progress on Friday evening, but a profligate display saw them suffer a shock 4-2 defeat, gifting the Belgian duo an unexpected lifeline.

Top seeds England will kick off their campaign against Spain on Saturday evening, as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries lock horns with Cristo Reyes and Jose Justicia.

Reyes averaged 104 to inspire Spain to a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Japan in their winner-takes-all Group K clash, having also edged past Croatia earlier in the day.

Four-time champions Netherlands have been pitted against Sweden in another intriguing tussle, as Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen form a new-look partnership for the second seeds.

Sweden maintained their 100% record in Group F with a 4-1 thumping of debutants Mongolia, with Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak sealing top spot at South Africa’s expense.

Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny continued their title charge with a resounding 4-1 victory over Thailand in Group C, and the Welsh duo have been rewarded with a tie against USA.

Adam Sevada and Stowe Buntz overcame their North American counterparts Canada in a decisive Group G tussle, after both sides claimed the scalp of Australia’s Damon Heta and Adam Leek.

German stars Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko eased through Group A for the loss of just two legs, following up their whitewash win over the Philippines with a 4-2 victory against New Zealand.

Last year’s semi-finalists will now play Czechia in round two, after Karel Sedlacek and Adam Gawlas guaranteed top spot in Group H with a 4-1 thumping of Denmark.

Republic of Ireland justified their status as a potential darkhorse for the title by clinching top spot in Group D, courtesy of a 4-2 success against Gibraltar’s Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt.

William O’Connor and Mickey Mansell needed just two legs to confirm their progress, although they were forced to defy an impressive display from the young duo, who succumbed to Singapore’s Paul Lim and Phuay Wei Tan in their opening group stage tie.

The 2019 finalists will now face Poland for a place in the quarter-finals, as Krzysztof Ratajski and Sebastian Bialecki closed out a 4-2 success against Switzerland to advance through Group E.

Friday’s action also saw Joshua Balfour and James Walklin create a slice of darting history for Trinidad and Tobago, rounding off their debut campaign with a landmark deciding-leg victory over Latvia.

However, Madars Razma and Valters Melderis still claimed top spot in Group J via legs difference, courtesy of Italy’s 4-2 victory against Balfour and Walklin on Friday afternoon.

The Latvians will now meet 2023 quarter-finalists France on Saturday afternoon, after Thibault Tricole and Nicolas Thuillier launched a stunning fightback from 3-0 down to stun two-time runners-up Austria.

Mensur Suljovic and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez squandered four match darts to secure top spot in Group I, and France duly capitalised, having also emerged through a seven-leg tie against China earlier in the day.

Elsewhere, Norway will feature in the knockout stages for the first time in a decade, as Cor Dekker and Kent Sivertsen overcame Hungary in a straight shoot-out for qualification from Group L.

Two-time champions Scotland will now go head-to-head with Norway on Saturday afternoon, as Gary Anderson teams up alongside debutant Cameron Menzies at the Eissporthalle.

QUALIFYING RESULTS
Thursday’s losing nation v Team 3
Denmark 4-1 India (H)
Spain 4-3 Croatia (K)
Hungary 4-0 Finland (L)
Singapore 4-2 Gibraltar (D)
Switzerland 4-1 Portugal (E)
South Africa 4-1 Mongolia (F)
Italy 4-2 Trinidad & Tobago (J)
Belgium 4-1 Slovenia (B)
Philippines 4-1 New Zealand (A)
Lithuania 4-2 Thailand (C)
France 4-3 China (I)
Canada 4-1 Australia (G)

Evening Session
Thursday’s winning nation v Team 3
Czechia 4-1 Denmark (H)
Spain 4-1 Japan (K)
Norway 4-3 Hungary (L)
Republic of Ireland 4-2 Gibraltar (D)
Poland 4-2 Switzerland (E)
Sweden 4-1 Mongolia (F)
Trinidad & Tobago 4-3 Latvia (J)
Slovenia 4-2 Hong Kong (B)
Germany 4-2 New Zealand (A)
Wales 4-1 Thailand (C)
France 4-3 Austria (I)
USA 4-2 Canada (G)