Kciuk wins East Europe Qualifier to seal Ally Pally return

Krzysztof Kciuk will make his Alexandra Palace return at the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, after winning through Saturday’s East Europe Qualifier in Budapest.

Kciuk came through a 37-player field in the Hungarian capital to confirm his place in the sport’s flagship event, 14 years after making his World Darts Championship debut.

The 43-year-old has been a regular fixture in Poland’s World Cup of Darts side alongside Krzysztof Ratajski, and the pair produced a 118.10 average in this year’s event – the highest pairs average in World Cup history.

Kciuk, who has also made four UK Open appearances, kicked off Saturday’s Qualifier with an impressive 6-2 success against Filip Prochazka, averaging almost 98 in the process.

He then swept aside Hungarian duo Baranyi Zsombor and Nandor Major to progress to the semi-finals, before reeling off six straight legs to demolish Czech star Roman Benecky 6-1.

This set up a showdown against his younger compatriot Sebastian Bialecki in a straight shoot-out for Alexandra Palace qualification, and it was Kciuk who ran out a 7-5 winner.

Bialecki started brightly to race into a 2-0 lead, only for Kciuk to respond with a run of five legs without reply to seize control of the contest.

Kciuk then converted a 116 finish to move to the brink of victory at 6-3, before defying a late rally from Bialecki to triumph with a spectacular 141 checkout.

Kciuk will be one of three Polish representatives involved at Alexandra Palace, where he will compete alongside Ratajski and Radek Szaganski, a winner on the Players Championship circuit in October.

The final four places in the Paddy Power World Darts Championship are available in the PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier on Monday, which will commence from 1200 GMT in Barnsley.

Due to his suspension by the Darts Regulation Authority, Indian Qualifier Prakash Jiwa is ineligible to play. Under PDC Rule 3.6, he is replaced by the Indian Qualifier runner-up, Bhav Patel.

2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
East Europe World Championship Qualifier
Saturday November 25, Budapest
Quarter-Finals
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-3 Nandor Major
Roman Benecky 6-3 Denis Duh
Pal Szekely 6-2 John Michael
Sebastian Bialecki 6-4 Gabor Jagicza

Semi-Finals
Krzysztof Kciuk 6-1 Roman Benecky
Sebastian Bialecki 6-3 Pal Szekely

Final
Krzysztof Kciuk 7-5 Sebastian Bialecki