UK Open: When is it? How can you watch it & How will Northern players Chris Dobey and Callan Rydz perform?

The 2021 UK Open is starting on Friday 5th March and will be hosted at  the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

160 players will compete for a massive £100,000 with different players entering the tournament in different rounds.

Prior to the event, qualifiers are held across the UK with 32 amateurs earning qualification into the competition’s first round where they will be joined by tour card holders who are seeded 98-128.

In round two Tour Card holders seeded 65-97 will join the party along with the winners from the first round before tour card holders 33-64 join in round three – including Newcastle’s Callan Rydz.

Rydz’s confidence will be high going into the UK Open following his Super Series win over the very in form Jonny Clayton last weekend and will be looking forward to his opening tie against world number 43 Ross Smith.

Smith hasn’t had a good start to 2021, losing in the second round in three of the four Super Series events – one of which being a 6-4 defeat at the hands of Rydz.

This contrasts with Rydz’s 2021 form which includes a ranking title, two third round exits and just the one second round exit.

Although Rydz is the lower ranked player of the two, currently ranked 57th in the world, he will have his eyes set on making it to the fourth round of the tournament at least.

The first three rounds will all happen in the afternoon session that commences at 12pm on Friday on eight different stages with the matches being the best of 11 legs.

In the fourth round the World’s best join, which boasts an incredible line up including Gerwyn Price, Michael Van Gerwen and Bedlington’s Chris Dobey.

From this stage the matches become the best of 19 legs until the Semi Final and the Final, where players have to win in matches best of 21.

Unlike Rydz, Dobey doesn’t yet know who he’ll be playing as the draw, so far, is only up to the third round.

Also unlike Rydz, Dobey hasn’t had the best start to 2021, being knocked out of three of the four Super Series events in the first round including surprise defeats to Suffolk’s Ryan Meikle and Austria’s Harald Leitinger.

Dobey did however make it to the fourth round in the first Super Series event losing out to ‘’The Rockstar’’ Joe Cullen in a deciding leg.

Last Year’s UK Open was Dobey’s best run in the competition making it to the sixth round taking home £7,500 just missing out on the quarter finals, losing 10-8 to Jonny Clayton.

This year’s UK Open can be watched by anyone at home on ITV 4 from 12pm, Friday.