UK Open Darts 2023: Harry Lane from Sheerness looking to make his mark and takes on Karel Sedlacek in round one at Butlin's Minehead

Harry Lane wasn’t going to throw away the chance of making it to the UK Darts Open Finals the second time - having messed up before.

The 30-year-old from Sheerness will play in the Finals on Friday after becoming one of 16 UK qualifiers from events run in Riley’s sports bars across the country. He won the London Victoria competition to book himself a place among the darts elite.

It wasn’t the first time he had made it to a qualifier Final - but this time he got it right.

He said: “I lost in the Final for a chance to go through around 12 years ago. I tried a couple of times since then but then this time I have come good. It was down to absolute determination.

“Last time I beat all the best players there to get to the Final and thought I had already won it, then I messed it up.

“This time it was about concentrating and getting it done.”

Known as the ‘FA Cup of Darts’, the UK Open sees amateurs mixing with the top professionals. The prestigious Finals weekend is taking place at Butlin’s, Minehead and is being screened live on ITV4.

Top-ranked players include Kent’s Rob Cross (sixth) and Ross Smith (16th) but they won’t compete until the later rounds of the £600,000 tournament, as the 128 tour card holders will have a staggered entry into the competition. The top players enter at the Fourth Round on Friday night.

Lane - in great form - is determined to show what he can do. He has been drawn to face Czech Republic’s Karel Sedlacek in the First Round.

He said: “I feel like I can go further but it is what me turns up on the day.

“I am happy to have got there but now I am thinking about going further. It is hard to get there but once you are there it is no point just turning up.

“I feel like my best game can beat those players