Xiaochen Zong made a winning start to the latest round of PDC China Premier League action on Tuesday, dispatching Xicheng Han to secure Night One success.
Reigning champion Zong began his bid for another PDC China Premier League crown in style, conceding just five legs in wins over Lihao Wen, Zhou Bu and Han to claim the five league points on offer.
The 25-year-old scooped a brace of PDC Asian Tour titles in Mongolia last month, and he maintained his fine form to triumph on the first of seven nights of league phase action.
The format of the PDC China Premier League evolved last year to replicate the Cazoo Premier League, with eight players competing across eight nights of action.
Following the conclusion of Night Seven, the top four players in the league table will progress to the Play-Offs, and the winner will qualify for the 2023/24 World Darts Championship.
Zong kicked off his campaign with a hard-fought 5-3 win over his World Cup partner Wen, before reeling off four straight legs to complete a 5-1 demolition of Bu in the last four.
Han fired in a 13-darter to draw first blood in Tuesday’s decider, but Zong responded by winning five consecutive legs to move top of the embryonic league table.
The PDC China Premier League returns for Night Two on Tuesday July 11, and coverage will be broadcast through PDCTV for all subscribers worldwide, with the action commencing at 1900 CST (1200 BST).
However, Zong and Wen will return to action at next week’s My Diesel Claim World Cup of Darts, as the pair prepare to represent China at the Eissporthalle in Frankfurt from June 15-18.
PDC China Premier League
Night One – Tuesday November 29
Quarter-Finals
Xiaochen Zong 5-3 Lihao Wen
Zhou Bu 5-3 Hailong Chen
Bin Zheng 5-0 Chengan Liu
Xicheng Han 5-3 Zhiwei Lin
Semi-Finals
Xiaochen Zong 5-1 Zhou Bu
Xicheng Han 5-4 Bin Zheng
Final
Xiaochen Zong 5-1 Xicheng Han
2022/23 PDC China Premier League
Event Dates
July 11 – Night Two
July 18 – Night Three
August 15 – Night Four
August 26 – Night Five (0600 BST)
August 26 – Night Six
August 27 – Night Seven (0600 BST)
August 27 – Play-Offs (semi-finals & final)
Competitors
Xiaochen Zong
Xicheng Han
Chengan Liu
Bin Zheng
Lihao Wen
Zhiwei Lin
Hailong Chen
Zhou Bu
Format
League Nights – best of nine legs
Play-Offs – semi-finals best of 19 legs, final best of 21 legs
League Phase Point Scoring
Champion: 5 points
Runner-up: 3 points
Semi-finalists: 2 points
Top four at end of regular season will advance to Play-offs