Niels Zonneveld
Niels Zonneveld | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Nickname | "Triple Z" | ||
Born | 22 July 1998 Uitgeest, Netherlands[1] | ||
Home town | Uitgeest, Netherlands | ||
Darts information | |||
Playing darts since | 2014 | ||
Darts | 23g Shot Darts Signature | ||
Laterality | Left-handed | ||
Walk-on music | "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down | ||
Organisation (see split in darts) | |||
PDC | 2019– (Tour Card: 2019–) | ||
Current world ranking | 49 4 (24 November 2024)[2] | ||
PDC premier events – best performances | |||
World Ch'ship | Last 64: 2024 | ||
UK Open | Last 32: 2022 | ||
PC Finals | Last 16: 2023, 2024 | ||
World Series Finals | Quarter Final: 2021 | ||
Other tournament wins | |||
|
Niels Zonneveld (born 22 July 1998)[3] is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is a current PDC Tour Card holder and is a two-time winner on the PDC Development Tour.
Career
[edit]Zonneveld started playing on the PDC Development Tour in 2018, picking up his first title on the tour in only his fourth event where he defeated Joe Davis 5–2 in the final.[4] At the end of the 2018 Development Tour season, he finished 9th on the Order of Merit ranking.
He attended European Q-School in 2019, where he won his PDC Tour Card on Day 1, beating Christian Gödl 5–1 in the final.[5] He made it to the semi finals of the 2020 PDC World Youth Championship but lost to the eventual champion Bradley Brooks 6–1. Zonneveld qualified for the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship through the PDPA Rest of the World Qualifier.[6][7] This was his debut at the competition.[8] He went out in the first round, being whitewashed by William O'Connor 3–0 in sets.[9]
He qualified for the 2021 World Series of Darts Finals as one of the four Tour Card holder qualifiers,[10] where he had his deepest run at a PDC televised event. He reached the quarter finals, including a 6-4 victory over two-time World Champion Gary Anderson in the second round.[11] His run was ended by Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski.[12]
At the 2022 Belgian Darts Open, Zonneveld upset reigning World Champion Peter Wright in the second round, beating him 6–5. The game became known for Wright's refusal to fist bump Zonneveld before the deciding leg, a gesture common amongst darts players.[13][14] Zonneveld reflected on the incident on the Double Top podcast in 2024, stating that the close win over Wright was "kind of the ultimate revenge", but explained that Wright apologised afterwards.[15][16]
Zonneveld earned his first win at the PDC World Darts Championship when he defeated Darren Webster 3–1 in the first round of the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.[17]
World Championship results
[edit]PDC
[edit]- 2021: First round (lost to William O'Connor 0–3)
- 2023: First round (lost to Lewy Williams 0–3)
- 2024: Second round (lost to Ross Smith 1–3)
- 2025: First round (lost to Robert Owen 1–3)
Performance timeline
[edit]Tournament | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PDC Ranked televised events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PDC World Championship | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | 1R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
UK Open | DNP | 1R | 3R | 2R | 5R | 3R | 2R | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Players Championship Finals | DNQ | 2R | DNQ | 1R | 3R | 3R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-ranked televised events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Series of Darts Finals | DNP | DNQ | QF | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
PDC World Youth Championship | RR | 3R | SF | 2R | 2R | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year-end ranking | - | 146 | 79 | 113 | 69 | 73 |
PDC European Tour
Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | EDO DNP |
GDG DNP |
GDO DNP |
ADO DNP |
EDG DNP |
DDM DNQ |
GDT DNP |
DDO DNP |
EDM DNP |
GDC DNP |
DDC DNP |
IDO DNP |
EDT DNP |
2019 | EDO DNQ |
GDC DNQ |
GDG DNQ |
GDO DNQ |
ADO DNQ |
EDG 2R |
DDM DNQ |
DDO DNQ |
CDO DNQ |
ADC DNQ |
EDM DNQ |
IDO DNQ |
GDT DNQ |
2020 | BDC DNQ |
GDC WD |
EDG DNQ |
IDO WD | |||||||||
2021 | HDT DNQ |
GDT DNQ | |||||||||||
2022 | IDO DNQ |
GDC DNQ |
GDG DNQ |
ADO DNQ |
EDO DNQ |
CDO DNQ |
EDG 1R |
DDC 1R |
EDM 1R |
HDT DNQ |
GDO DNQ |
BDO 3R |
GDT DNQ |
2023 | BSD 1R |
EDO DNQ |
IDO DNQ |
GDG DNQ |
ADO DNQ |
DDC DNQ |
BDO DNQ |
CDO DNQ |
EDG DNQ |
EDM DNQ |
GDO DNQ |
HDT DNQ |
GDC DNQ |
2024 | BDO DNQ |
GDG 1R |
IDO DNQ |
EDG 1R |
ADO DNQ |
BSD 1R |
DDC 2R |
EDO DNQ |
GDC DNQ |
FDT DNQ |
HDT 2R |
SDT DNQ |
CDO SF |
Performance Table Legend | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | Won the tournament | F | Finalist | SF | Semifinalist | QF | Quarterfinalist | #R RR L# |
Lost in # round Round-robin Last # stage |
DQ | Disqualified |
DNQ | Did not qualify | DNP | Did not participate | WD | Withdrew | NH | Tournament not held | NYF | Not yet founded |
References
[edit]- ^ "Niels Zonneveld PDPA Profile". PDPA. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "PDC Order of Merit". PDPA. 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ "Niels Zonneveld | PDC". PDC.tv. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "2018 PDC Unicorn Development Tour 3-4". PDC.tv. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "Niels Zonneveld seals PDC Tour card at 2019 European Qualifying School". Sky Sports News. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "PDC World Championship PDPA Rest of the World Qualifier". DartConnect. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "Niels Zonneveld plaatst zich voor WK Darts" [Niels Zonneveld qualifies for the World Darts Championship]. Uitgeest Online. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Allen, Dave (13 December 2020). "Stars old & new preparing for Ally Pally experience". PDC.tv. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Hynes, Robert (16 December 2020). "Willie O'Connor sets up all-Ireland clash at World Darts Championship with win over Niels Zonneveld". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "World Series of Darts Finals: Maik Kuivenhoven, Niels Zonneveld, Mervyn King and Kim Huybrechts all qualify". Sky Sports News. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "Gary Anderson stunned by Niels Zonneveld in Amsterdam". RTÉ. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Brandhorst, Stephan (31 October 2021). "Uitzinnige Niels Zonneveld vestigt naam bij het grote publiek tijdens 'fantastisch dartsweekend'" [Ecstatic Niels Zonneveld makes a name for himself among the general public during 'fantastic darts weekend']. NH. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "Zonneveld stuurt wereldkampioen Wright naar huis, missers kosten Van Gerwen de kop" [Zonneveld sends world champion Wright home, mistakes cost Van Gerwen the lead]. AD. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ Marinussen, Tijn (24 September 2022). "Zonneveld stunt in België: Wright onderuit in decider" [Zonneveld upset in Belgium: Wright loses in decider]. Darts Actueel. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ Gill, Samuel (26 June 2024). ""That was kind of the ultimate revenge": Niels Zonneveld looks back at Peter Wright European Tour incident". Darts News. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ^ "Niels Zonneveld reageert op boks-incident met Peter Wright" [Niels Zonneveld responds to fist bump incident with Peter Wright]. Double Top. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Wood, Kieran (17 December 2023). "Niels Zonneveld triumphs in incredibly dramatic finale to take first World Darts Championship win". Darts News. Retrieved 27 November 2024.