Vincent van der Voort

Vincent van der Voort

Published: Tuesday, 30 October 2007, 2:56PM

Name: Vincent van der Voort
Date of Birth: 18/12/1975
Place of Birth: Purmerend, Netherlands
Home Town: Purmerend, Netherlands
Darts Used: 23g Vincent van der Voort MasterDarts
TV Debut: 2001

Vincent picked up his first big title by winning the 1991 Europe Cup Youth championship, but it would be another decade before he began to show his talents on the circuit.

One of the quickest throwers in the sport, he reached the semi-finals at the 2001 Primus Masters and made his Lakeside Championship debut at the 2002 event, losing 3-2 to Mensur Suljovic in round one.

The Dutchman won the Danish Open that year and also reached the last 32 at the World Masters.

He would lose in the second round and first round respectively in the next two Lakeside Championships before winning the 2004 German Gold Cup and reaching four other semi-finals on the circuit.

The 2005 Lakeside Championship saw him overcome defending champion Andy Fordham and Tony Eccles to reach the quarter-finals, where he went down to Raymond van Barneveld.

The year saw him continue his progression up the rankings, reaching five quarter-finals and then the Swiss Open semi-finals, as well as representing Holland at the WDF World Cup.

Following a second round loss at the 2006 Lakeside Championship, he went on to win the Danish Open for a second time, overcoming Per Laursen in the final, and won through to three other semi-finals.

A loss to Davy Richardson at the 2007 Lakeside Championship proved his final appearance on the BDO/WDF circuit, with van der Voort joining Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen and Mervyn King in switching to the PDC.

He made an immediate impact, reaching the semis of a UK Open Regional Final before going one better in the UK Open finals at Bolton, reaching the decider but losing out to van Barneveld.

He also qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic, losing to Peter Manley in round one, and the World Grand Prix, where van Barneveld inflicted a 2-1 first round defeat.

Two last eight appearances in Players Championships in Atlanta and Chicago were followed in November 2007 by a run to the final of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic, where he went down to Klaasen.

He was a first round loser in the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts, but had already broken into the PDC's top 32 and qualified by right for a World Championship debut, this time overcoming Klaasen before going out to Adrian Lewis.

Two semi-finals and a pair of quarter-finals on the PDC Pro Tour were followed by another strong display in the UK Open finals in June 2008, reaching the last four before eventual champion James Wade proved too strong.

Van der Voort was a first round loser to Alan Tabern in his World Matchplay debut, and also lost at the first hurdle in the European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts after winning a Championship League Darts group during the autumn.

He clashed with Wade on the big stage once again at the 2009 World Championship, at the last 16 stage, and would have to wait until April to reach a PDC Pro Tour final, with Michael van Gerwen taking victory in a Players Championship in Taunton.

Four quarter-finals followed in the next three months, and after suffering defeats to Wayne Jones in the UK Open and to Lewis in a deciding leg at the Desert Classic he returned to form on the big stage at the World Matchplay.

Former Winter Gardens finalists John Part and Wayne Mardle were overcome as van der Voort reached the quarter-finals, although Mervyn King ended his hopes of a first major title at that stage.