Jan van der Rassel

Darts player infobox
playername = Jan van der Rassel


fullname =
nickname = Rassel Dazzle
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1964|1|5
cityofbirth = The Hague
countryofbirth = Netherlands
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
hometown = Hoogerheide
homecountry = Netherlands
since =
darts =
BDO = 2002 to 2003
PDC = 2004 to present
currentrank = 49
BDO World =
World Masters = Last 16 2003
World Darts Trophy = Last 32 2002
Int. Darts League = Last 32 Group 2003
PDC World = Last 16 2008
Matchplay =
Grand Prix =
UK Open = Last 32 2004
Vegas =
Premier League =
US Open =
tournament = Primus Masters
resultyears = 2006

Jan van der Rassel (born January 5, 1964) is a Dutch darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Rassel Dazzle for his matches. His former nickname was Tweety Pie.

He began his darts career competing on the British Darts Organisation 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, chosing 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.

World Championship performances

:2004 (PDC) last 48 lost to Ritchie Buckle 1-3:2005 (PDC) did not qualify:2006 (PDC) last 32 lost to John Kucynski 3-4:2007 (PDC) did not qualify:2008 (PDC) last 16 lost to Peter Manley 1-4

External links

* [http://www.teessidesoftware.no-ip.com/DartsDatabase/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=53&organPd=All&tourns=All&plStat=2#PlayerResults Van der Rassel's darts database]
* [http://www.darts-web.eu/DARTEN/pages/spelers/Rassel.htm Van der Rassel at darts-web.eu]