Archive for the ‘Tournament previews’ Category
CLD Group Three Fixtures and Results Through the Day
Day 3 of the of the Champions League Darts – and remember you can watch it live on one of the internet streams, including the official PDC.tv channel.
Play commences at 10.30am, with all matches the best of 11 legs as players battle for places in the evening’s semi-finals and final.
Reigning champion Colin Osborne enters the fray in Group Three, alongside Andy Hamilton and Alan Tabern (semi finalist on Sunday in Crawley, so on form) – who steps up after Co Stompe was promoted to Group Two when Mervyn King was ruled out through injury.
Prize money is paid at £50 per leg won in the round-robin group stage and £100 per leg in the play-offs.
The bookmakers streaming Championship League Darts are:
Bet365 – www.bet365.com, 188bet – www.188bet.com, IBC Bet – www.ibcbet.com, Unibet – www.unibet.com ,Sportingbet – www.sportingbet.com , Ladbrokes – www.ladbrokes.com , Paddy Power – www.paddypower.com , Betfair – www.betfair.com , Betclic – www.betclic.com , Betathome – www.betathome.com , Expekt – www.expekt.com , Digibet – www.digibet.com , Titanbet – www.titanbet.com , Hititbet – www.hititbet.com , Stan James – www.stanjames.com , Betboo – www.betboo.com
Latest League Table
| Pl | W | L | Won | Lost | Leg +/- | £Won | Pts | |
| Alan Tabern | 5 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 19 | +11 | £1500 | 10 |
| Gary Anderson | 5 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 18 | +4 | £1100 | 6 |
| Adrian Lewis | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 19 | +2 | £1050 | 6 |
| Co Stompe | 5 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 25 | -1 | £1200 | 4 |
| Colin Osborne | 5 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 26 | -2 | £1200 | 4 |
| James Wade | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 25 | -3 | £1100 | 4 |
| Ronnie Baxter | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 25 | -3 | £1100 | 4 |
| Andy Hamilton | 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 25 | -8 | £850 | 2 |
Group Three Fixtures
| Time | Board One | Board Two | |
| 10.30am | Match One | James Wade 6-2 Adrian Lewis | Co Stompe 5-6 Alan Tabern |
| Match Two | Colin Osborne 3-6 Gary Anderson | Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Andy Hamilton | |
| Match One | Alan Tabern 6-4 James Wade | Gary Anderson 6-2 Ronnie Baxter | |
| Match Two | Andy Hamilton 3-6 Colin Osborne | Adrian Lewis 6-2 Co Stompe | |
| Match One | Alan Tabern 6-4 Ronnie Baxter | James Wade 1-6 Gary Anderson | |
| Match Two | Andy Hamilton 3-6 Co Stompe | Adrian Lewis 6-4 Colin Osborne | |
| Not before 2.00pm | Match One | Ronnie Baxter 6-5 James Wade | Alan Tabern 6-3 Gary Anderson |
| Match Two | Adrian Lewis 1-6 Andy Hamilton | Co Stompe 5-6 Colin Osborne | |
| Match One | Co Stompe 6-4 Ronnie Baxter | Colin Osborne 5-6 James Wade | |
| Match Two | Gary Anderson 1-6 Adrian Lewis | Andy Hamilton 3-6 Alan Tabern | |
| Not before 4.15pm | Match One | Colin Osborne v Alan Tabern | Adrian Lewis v Ronnie Baxter |
| Match Two | Gary Anderson v Co Stompe | James Wade v Andy Hamilton | |
| Match One | Co Stompe v James Wade | Ronnie Baxter v Colin Osborne | |
| Match Two | Andy Hamilton v Gary Anderson | Alan Tabern v Adrian Lewis | |
| Not before 6.45pm | Semi-Final 1 | Semi-Final 2 | |
| Not before 7.30pm | Final |
Champion League Darts – Group One Starts Today
An “internet broadcasted only” PDC Darts tournament starts today – “The Champion League Darts”. Info and RESULTS here during the day. UPDATE: Day 1 has been won by the one and only, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, with a 6-2 win over Colin Lloyd (another great days work from Colin after winning on the pro tour on Sunday!).
THE 2010 Championship League Darts begins on Tuesday, as eight of the world’s top players battle for £200,000 in prize money in the internet-streamed tournament.
Stars such as Phil Taylor, James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Mervyn King are used to battling in front of thousands of fans around the UK in major PDC tournaments, but will be playing behind closed doors across the nine days of Championship League Darts.
The internet-streamed event sees eight eight-player groups contested during September and October, with each of the group winners then competing for the £10,000 first prize in the Winners Group. However, prize money per leg won is also awarded throughout the event, starting at £50 per leg in the groups as the players compete in a round-robin format.
The top four players from each group contest the play-offs, where they won £100 per leg, and each day’s winner progresses to the Winners Group on October 14. Each day also sees the bottom two players after the round-robin stage eliminated, with the players finishing from second-sixth progressing to the next group and joined by three more stars.
Championship League Darts is streamed exclusively live around the world through 16 bookmakers’ websites, as well as to PDCtv subscribers at the PDC’s official website, www.pdc.tv.
The bookmakers streaming Championship League Darts are:
Bet365 – www.bet365.com, 188bet – www.188bet.com, IBC Bet – www.ibcbet.com, Unibet – www.unibet.com ,Sportingbet – www.sportingbet.com , Ladbrokes – www.ladbrokes.com , Paddy Power – www.paddypower.com , Betfair – www.betfair.com , Betclic – www.betclic.com , Betathome – www.betathome.com , Expekt – www.expekt.com , Digibet – www.digibet.com , Titanbet – www.titanbet.com , Hititbet – www.hititbet.com , Stan James – www.stanjames.com , Betboo – www.betboo.com
Group One Fixtures
| Time | Board One | Board Two | |
| 10.30am | Match One | Phil Taylor 6-2 James Wade | Colin Lloyd 6-4 Robert Thornton |
| Match Two | Simon Whitlock 6-1 Mark Walsh | Mervyn King 6-5 Adrian Lewis | |
| Match One | Robert Thornton 6-4 Phil Taylor | Mark Walsh 3-6 Mervyn King | |
| Match Two | Adrian Lewis 6-3 Simon Whitlock | James Wade 5-6 Colin Lloyd | |
| Match One | Robert Thornton 2-6 Mervyn King | Phil Taylor 6-5 Mark Walsh | |
| Match Two | Adrian Lewis 0-6 Colin Lloyd | James Wade 0-6 Simon Whitlock | |
| Not before 2.00pm | Match One | Mervyn King 6-4 Phil Taylor | Robert Thornton 1-6 Mark Walsh |
| Match Two | James Wade 6-3 Adrian Lewis | Colin Lloyd 2-6 Simon Whitlock | |
| Match One | Colin Lloyd 3-6 Mervyn King | Simon Whitlock 2-6 Phil Taylor | |
| Match Two | Mark Walsh 5-6 James Wade | Adrian Lewis 6-1 Robert Thornton | |
| Not before 4.15pm | Match One | Simon Whitlock 6-5 Robert Thornton | James Wade 4-6 Mervyn King |
| Match Two | Mark Walsh 3-6 Colin Lloyd | Phil Taylor 6-3 Adrian Lewis | |
| Match One | Colin Lloyd 1-6 Phil Taylor | Mervyn King 3-6 Simon Whitlock | |
| Match Two | Adrian Lewis 6-5 Mark Walsh | Robert Thornton 3-6 James Wade | |
| Not before 6.45pm | Semi-Finals | Mervyn King 2-6 Colin Lloyd | Phil Taylor 6-1 Simon Whitlock |
| Not before 7.30pm | Final | Colin Lloyd 2-6 Phil Taylor |
Final League Table
| Pl | W | L | Won | Lost | Leg +/- | £Won | Pts | |
| Mervyn King | 7 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 27 | +12 | £1950 | 12 |
| Phil Taylor | 7 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 25 | +13 | £1900 | 10 |
| Simon Whitlock | 7 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 23 | +12 | £1750 | 10 |
| Colin Lloyd | 7 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 30 | 0 | £1500 | 8 |
| Adrian Lewis | 7 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 33 | -4 | £1450 | 6 |
| James Wade | 7 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 35 | -6 | £1450 | 6 |
| Mark Walsh | 7 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 37 | -9 | £1400 | 2 |
| Robert Thornton | 7 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 40 | -18 | £1100 | 2 |
Players tied on Points are separated by Leg Difference. In the event of any further ties, Legs Won and then Legs Won Against Throw are taken into account. Should players still be tied, the Head-To-Head result would be used to separate the players.
Players Championship back to UK this weekend
I thought I’d post a quick ickle story about the PDC Pro tour returning to UK shores this weekend, after it’s travelled to Australia and Canada. So the pro’s and guests head to sunny Crawley this Saturday, for two more player championship pro tour events.
I’m again getting excited as I’m off to Crawley myself, a guest of Justin Pipe (one of the two players sponsored by The Stars of Darts Forum). I’m risking the trains Friday afternoon to ensure I’m there nice n early Saturday – for plenty of darts n beers! There should be a bit of a social in the evening, with some of the volunteer PDC markers, the odd player, and myself going out for beers (and possibly some darts).
The are rumours this could be one of the strongest fields of the year, with possibly both Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld playing.. but we shall see. I’ve also heard a whisper that Dennis Priestly may not be attending, but otherwise it’s could be all of the top 32 Player Champ seeds .. we shall see!
On a serious note, there are only 4 events left before the cut off for qualification to the World Grand Prix in Dublin, so some players will be fighting tooth n nail to earn more ranking points, especially those on the cusp of qualification;
UPDATE: The PDC have announced the entries for this weekend, and there is NO Taylor or Barneveld (shame cause I thought he said he might start the floor tournaments again).
Remaining Events For WGP Qualification
September 4th, Players Championship 25, Crawley
September 5th, Players Championship 26, Crawley
September 18th, Players Championship 27, Nuland
September 19th, Players Championship 28, Nuland
Qualification for the WGP is as follows;
Top 16 in the PDC Order of Merit (top 8 will be seeded)
Top 4 nationals of Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland from the Players Championship Order of Merit not otherwise qualified
Top 12 in the Players Championship Order of Merit not otherwise qualified
.. and those on the edges of qualification are (above line in, below line, out);
| PDC OOM | Irish qualifiers | Player Champ OOM |
|---|---|---|
| 14. Gary Anderson, £137,050 15. Paul Nicholson, £133,454 16. Kevin Painter, £131,554 —————————– 17. Robert Thornton, £130,053 18. Co Stompe, £128,439 19. Dennis Priestley, £126,009 20. Vincent van der Voort, £120,487 21. Wes Newton, £120,339 |
1. Brendan Dolan, £4,900 2. William O’Connor, £1,700 3. Mick McGowan, £1,600 4. John McGowan, £900 —————————- 5. Aodhagen O’Neill, £500 |
9. Alan Tabern, £10,950 10. Dennis Priestley, £10,150 11. Steve Brown, £9,900 12. Jelle Klaasen, £8,500 —————————– 13. Mark Webster, £8,300 14. Steve Beaton, £8,000 15. Tony Eccles, £7,100 |
Player championships moves to Canada this weekend
There are two PDC pro tour events this weekend, just a few miles from the UK in Canada! The field includes 45 PDPA members, headed by last week’s Australian Open Players Championship winner Dennis Priestley, who has won the Players Championships in Canada for the past two years.
Saturday’s London Ontario Players Championship will see 127 players competing for £22,000 prize money, with 122 in action in Sunday’s Canadian Masters Players Championship.
Canada’s three-time World Champion John Part is also in action on home soil, as he bids to secure top spot in the PDC’s North American Order of Merit this weekend. The two events are the last to count towards the North American Order of Merit this year – adding to the five events held in Las Vegas at the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival.
Part enters the weekend sat on £5,200 – just £300 ahead of America’s Darin Young, who won £4,900 in Las Vegas. Paul Lim (£1,900), Larry Butler (£1,775), Ken MacNeil (£1,725) and Gary Mawson (£1,650) are their closest challengers.
Both events start at 12pm local time (I believe it’s about 5pm UK time… so results won’t be in until about 1am?), and will be the best of 11 legs throughout, with the draw conducted at 11am (4pm?) following the close of registration.
My personal good luck shouts go to
Justin Pipe, Jamie Caven, Steve Brown, and of course Steve Maish! It’s quite a way to travel at some expense, but with a ‘weakened’ field my mates must be hoping for some good ranking ‘points’ this week – with the World Championships at the Alley Pally coming to mind now. BTW I’m not knocking the local talent, but a fair few of the top PDC top 16 are missing, including the top 7 I believe!
Championship League Darts tournament
THE third Championship League Darts tournament will begin on Tuesday September 7, as the stars of the PDC battle for £200,000 in prize money across nine days in the internet-streamed event.

Colin Osborne - 2009 Championship League Darts Winner (Lawrence Lustig, PDC)
Championship League Darts began in 2008, and sees eight players per group compete in eight league days of the event, with each of the group winners returning on the final day to compete in the Winners Group. The event is streamed live on the internet via a series of bookmakers’ websites, and is also available live in PDCtv for subscribers.
Invitations to players are issued based on the PDC Order of Merit, with the top eight available players competing in Group One on Tuesday September 7. The Group Winner will progress to the Winners Group in October, while the bottom two players from that day’s group, following the round-robin series of matches, being eliminated.
The next three available players from the Order of Merit will then enter for Group Two, with the process being repeated throughout the eight groups.
Groups One to Three will be played from September 7-9, Groups Four to Six will play on September 21-23 and Group Seven, Group Eight and the Winners Group will be held from October 12-14.
The eight players in each group will compete in a round-robin format, with matches played over the best of 11 legs and prize money awarded at £50 per leg won. Play takes place on two stages simultaneously, and after each player has completed his seven league games the top four players in the league table progress to the play-offs.
Prize money in the semi-finals and final increases to £100 per leg won, with the day’s champion progressing to the Winners Group. Following the Winners Group, the Championship League Darts winner will receive £10,000, the runner-up takes home an additional £5,000 and the losing semi-finalists receive £2,500.
The list of players who will compete in each group will be confirmed in due course after the invited players confirm their participation in the tournament.
Grand Slam of Darts Update

The 2010 Grand Slam of Darts is taking shape - you can watch in ITV
A total of 21 players have now qualified for the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, with three events remaining for players to win a spot in the tournament. The Grand Slam of Darts will take place from November 13-21 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, featuring 32 players from the PDC and BDO.
The majority of players qualify by reaching major finals over a two-year period building up to the Grand Slam, and are joined by a number of international qualifiers and previous Grand Slam and World Championship semi-finalists.
So far, 21 players have booked their spots at Wolverhampton, including three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor, as well as former finalists Terry Jenkins and Scott Waites, the 2009 runner-up. Wayne Jones was the most recent player to earn his place, having reached the final of the PartyPoker.net European Championship last weekend, alongside last month’s PDC Unicorn Women’s World Championship finalists, Stacy Bromberg and Tricia Wright.
The finalists from the World Grand Prix and Championship League Darts in October will also be invited to compete in Wolverhampton, alongside four players from the ITV Wildcard Qualifier, which will be held on Friday November 5 at the Barnsley Metrodome.
Any player can enter the ITV Wildcard Qualifier, with entry costing £25 and available by clicking here. The finalists of the PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship will also be invited to play in Wolverhampton, with the event playing down to the last two in Barnsley on November 6.
Any remaining places in the tournament to complete the 32-player field will be allocated as follows:
- Highest non-qualified player from PDC Order of Merit (at October 25)
- Highest non-qualified player from Players Championship Order of Merit (at October 25)
- Highest non-qualified player from European Order of Merit (at October 25)
- Highest non-qualified player from North American Order of Merit (at October 25)
Ticket Information
Tickets for the Grand Slam of Darts will go on Priority Sale for PDCtv Annual Subscribers on September 1 and on General Sale on September 6. Ticket prices are currently being finalised and will be announced in due course.
The Priority Sales period will be open only to users of the PDC’s official website, www.pdc.tv, who have an “Annual Pass – Highlights” package pass or an “Annual International Pass” for live coverage outside of the UK & Ireland.
Subscribers with a monthly subscription are not eligible to purchase tickets in this period. Full Terms & Conditions will be announced shortly.
European Darts Championships – Last days Results and preview
A great day of darts yesterday, and a really busy one today. The finalists will have to get through 3 games to claim the title and the cash today – so stamina will pay a part.
In the first game my loyalties come first – my man Jamie ‘Jabba’ Caven will be who I’m cheering on (while trying to stay neutral on the Bravo_darts twitter I am covering the games on!). Jamie is an amazing player, and has overcome what lesser men would have given in to, becoming a star of the darts scene. Jenkins has thrown off some of his recent poor form to get to the semi, but if Caven can play like he did yesterday, I think he’s got it in the bag. Good luck today mate!
I’m split over the next semi – I’ve got Ronnie Baxter in my fantasy darts team over at The Stars of Darts forum… but Colin is another Gent of the game. Colin has been playing really well too – while Baxter has been a little hot n cold. I think Lloyd may just pinch it.
Taylor vs. Walsh.. what a game. Walsh has played Taylor enough to know his game well, and hopefully not be scared of him. It’s the king of the floor vs. the king of the TV tournaments… could be a belter. I think the Power will win though.
Barney vs. a TV confident Jones – another possible belter. Wayne Jones like Mark Walsh is a master of the tungsten on the floor, but who has previously found the TV scene tough. But this tournament that doesn’t seem to be an issue for him. Close… but Barneveld to win I think – who knows, maybe a 9 darter too
Remember to follow the official @BRAVO_darts twitter for all the scores and more – especially as it’s me doing it, and I’ve been keeping off the ale to keep my spelling straight (ish) !! There’s also a gallery here of images taken by Bravo – including some behind the scenes.
Quarter Finals
1.00pm Terry Jenkins 10-6 Jamie Caven
2.00pm Colin Lloyd 10-6 Ronnie Baxter
3.00pm Phil Taylor 10-4 Mark Walsh
4.00pm Raymond van Barneveld 8-10 Wayne Jones
Semi Finals
Evening session begins 7pm UK time, Order of play to be confirmed by toss of a coin
7.00pm Wayne Jones 11-10 Colin Lloyd
8.15 pm Phil Taylor 11-10 Terry Jenkins
The Final
Phil Taylor 11 – 1 Wayne Jones
Dave Gorman has been doing a sterling job – bringing darts to a new audience, and some cracking funny mini interviews. He’s been blogging about it too; http://gormano.blogspot.com/2010/08/bravo-darts.html
The PartyPoker.net European Championship is being shown live on Sport1 in Germany and on Bravo in the UK – Bravo can be found at channel 123 on Sky and 136 on Virgin Media.
Prize Money
Winner – £50,000
Runner-Up – £20,000
Semi-Finals – £10,000
Quarter-Finals – £7,500
Last 16 – £5,000
Last 32 – £2,500
European Darts Championships – Day 3 Preview
Two sessions of darts on Bravo TV today, starting at 1pm and 7pm (UK Time, add 1 hour if you’re out in Germany). There were a couple of shocks last night – with local German Roith going through. I wonder if there will be any big name losses today.
There are 8 games in total, as we are now on the last 16… and the format is best of 19 legs (first to 10 if you’re still hungover!).
As per the last two nights, yours truly (Krispy) will be on the official @Bravo_darts twitter – so if you can’t get to a TV or don’t have the Bravo channel, follow along on twitter and you’ll know all the scores pretty much as they happen, plus some stats and random thoughts of mine
Also check out presenter Dave Gorman’s blog where he discusses teething problems and the scoreboard! http://gormano.blogspot.com/2010/07/bread-cheese-beer-and-darts.html
Afternoon Session
1.00pm Mark Walsh v Jelle Klaasen
2.00pm Terry Jenkins v Simon Whitlock
3.00pm Ronnie Baxter v Wes Newton
4.00pm Wayne Jones v Robert Thornton
Evening Session
7.00pm Barrie Bates v Jamie Caven
8.00pm Raymond van Barneveld v Bernd Roith
9.00pm Phil Taylor v Andy Smith
10.00pm Colin Lloyd v Michael van Gerwen
I myself can’t see Terry Jenkins beating Simon Whitlock – the Wizard will have too much for the Bull – esp as Germany seems to be the place for beard power! I’m rooting for my mate Jamie Caven this evening – although I could never wish Barry Bates ill, he’s a real fun character of the game. It will be intresting to see how the crowd react to watching their own man Bernd Roith throw against Barney this evening – although I can’t see anything other than a win for van Barneveld there. Another re-match between Taylor and the Pieman – as it’s now first to 10 and slightly longer format I think it will be the power all the way there. Game of the day could be Lloyd vs. van Gerwen – as Mighty Mike seemed to gain some confidence last night.
Euro Champs – Tonight’s order of play on Bravo TV
Well the feedback I’ve seen and had from last night’s Bravo TV coverage of the PDC European Darts Championships has been very positive. Yeah there were some technical glitches – but Dave Gorman was the first to admit the scoreboard needs SORTING for tonight.
Otherwise the fans were on the whole well behaved (apart from one or two), commentators on the ball, and the lack of adverts during games, combined with interviews after the matches made it a great night of darts.
If you’re not out on the beers, don’t forget the action continues again tonight! And/or follow on twitter for updates during the games; http://twitter.com/BRAVO_darts
Euro Champs Friday July 30
First Round
Play commences 7pm UK time – on BRAVO!
Game times are APPROXIMATE!
7.00pm Bernd Roith v Denis Ovens
7.30pm Mark Dudbridge v Robert Thornton
8.00pm Adrian Lewis v Wayne Jones
8.30pm Tomas Seyler v Michael van Gerwen
9.00pm James Wade v Colin Lloyd
9.30pm Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton
10.00pm Colin Osborne v Wes Newton
10.30pm Ronnie Baxter v Alan Tabern
Euro Stars Head To Germany – Watch on Bravo Tonight
PHIL TAYLOR opens his challenge for a third successive PartyPoker.net European Championship title on Thursday, when he takes on Co Stompe as the £200,000 tournament begins in Dinslaken, Germany.
UPDATE: I’m actually sitting in for Bravo on their twitter tonight – as a z list celebrity darts ‘guru’ – follow me and Bravo here; https://twitter.com/BRAVO_Darts for game by game comments and analysis.
Taylor has lifted the European Championship trophy in each of the past two years since the tournament was launched in 2008.
The world number one travels to the Stadthalle in Dinslaken on a high after winning his 11th World Matchplay last Sunday, as he seeks to win a fourth major title inside three months.
“Winning the World Matchplay was great and I’d love to go on and win the European Championship this weekend,” said Taylor. “I’m feeling great and playing well, and winning this would round off a perfect summer.”
Taylor takes on Co Stompe in the first round, with the Dutchman having defeated him in the 2008 German Darts Championship final.
“Co has done brilliantly in the last couple of years and he played superbly when he won the German Darts Championship, but that was a different day,” added Taylor.
“I put it behind me and so has Co, and we’ve played a few times since. He did well in the World Matchplay last week and I know he’ll want that to continue in Germany.”
Stompe followed that German Darts Championship victory with two World Championship quarter-final appearances, as well as winning a Players Championship a month ago and reaching the last eight in Blackpool.
“The win over Phil is in the past and you can’t dwell on that because it’s history,” said Stompe. “It’s a new game on Thursday and I’ve got a hard game against Phil.
“I’ve turned my game around, because I’ve been practising on my doubles and they went alright in Blackpool but my scoring let me down.
“I know I can play better than I did in Blackpool, and I’ll go up there on Thursday and hopefully give Phil a big fight.”
The tournament’s opening night will also feature a clash between two of the sport’s fastest throwers, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort.
The Dutch pair have both enjoyed strong form in 2010, while Klaasen – a European Championship semi-finalist last year – reached the quarter-finals of last week’s World Matchplay with a slightly slower throwing style.
“I tried to slow down and it felt good,” he said. “I’m always trying to improve my game and I’ve tried something new on stage now, and I played well.
“I think I’ll try to play slower now in every tournament. It will be a hard match to play against Vincent because we travel all the time and are good friends, but when we get on stage we’re enemies and want to beat each other 6-0.”
The players ranked fourth and fifth in the world, Mervyn King and Terry Jenkins, have an opportunity to bounce back from first round exits in the World Matchplay when they face Barrie Bates and Germany’s Andree Welge respectively.
Simon Whitlock, the Australian who has jumped to eighth in the PDC Order of Merit following his run to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, takes on two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley on his European Championship debut.
The tournament will open when Paul Nicholson, January’s totesport.com Players Championship Finals winner, faces Andy Smith – who had minor surgery on a leg injury a week ago but has previously won a Players Championship on the Dinslaken stage.
Gary Anderson, the UK Open finalist who has been troubled by a shoulder injury in recent weeks and lost to Klaasen in Blackpool, meets Jamie Caven, and number eight seed Mark Walsh faces Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas.
World number two Raymond van Barneveld – who hit a nine-darter in the World Matchplay before losing to Taylor in the final – takes on Andy Hamilton on the second night of play, while number three seed James Wade faces Colin Lloyd.
German pair Tomas Seyler and Bernd Roith are in action on home soil, with Roith taking on Denis Ovens on his televised debut while Seyler meets Michael van Gerwen – the Dutch youngster who has been sidelined for the past month with a broken collarbone.
The PartyPoker.net European Championship is being shown live on Sport1 in Germany and on Bravo in the UK – Bravo can be found at channel 123 on Sky and 136 on Virgin Media.
Dave Gorman and James Richardson are presenting, and @bravo_darts and the Official European Championship Facebook page, will be hubs for interviews, scores, photos and behind-the-scenes information.












