Nickname Rassel Dazzle World Masters Last 16: 2003 PDC 2004-2010 | BDO 2002-2004, 2010-2012 Laterality Left-handed Name Jan der | |
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Born 5 January 1964 (age 60)
The Hague, Netherlands ( 1964-01-05 ) Home town Hoogerheide
Netherlands | ||
Anthony pays tribute to Jan Van Der Rassel
Jan van der Rassel (born 5 January 1964) is a former Dutch darts player. He used the nickname Rassel Dazzle for his matches.
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Career
He began his darts career competing on the BDO circuit in 2002, and reached the quarter finals of the Dutch Open in 2003. After reaching the last 16 of the Winmau World Masters in 2003, he switched the rival organisation, the PDC and made his World Championship debut in 2004 but lost his opening match to Ritchie Buckle. He then began competing on the PDC Pro Tour circuit (non-televised events). His best results came in his native Netherlands - reaching the semi-finals of the 2005 Open Hotel Zwartewater and the quarter-finals of the 2005 Dutch Open, which he was still eligible despite being a PDC player.
After failing to qualify for the 2005 PDC World Championship he returned to the event in 2006 beating former world champion Steve Beaton in the first round before losing narrowly to American John Kuczynski 3-4 in the second round.
In November 2006, Van der Rassel won his first title - the Primus Masters, although the top players in the PDC were absent in the event he beat England's Andy Smith, four fellow Dutchman and two Belgians on his way to the title. Just a week later, he failed to progress to the 2007 World Championship losing to Steve Evans in the qualifiers.
Van der Rassel competed in fewer Pro Tour events during 2007, choosing to enter the tournaments closer to his home country - including the Antwerp Darts Trophy where he lost to James Wade in the last 32. He progressed through the qualifying tournament for the 2008 World Championship having to win four matches to make it to the Alexandra Palace tournament. He managed to beat former world number one Colin Lloyd in the first round and Denis Ovens in the second round before losing to three-time World Championship runner-up Peter Manley in the last 16.
In the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship, he defeated 2008 finalist Kirk Shepherd in the first round in a narrow 3-2 win and faced fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in the second round and lost 4-0.
Van der Rassel rejoined the British Darts Organisation in 2010 due to lack of sponsorship funds. And stopped playing in 2012.