The German Darts Championship begins today, with Terry Jenkins set to face Ross Smith in the first round in Hildesheim.
The £135,000 tournament is the tenth European Tour event of the year and will see 48 players compete at Halle 39 in Hildesheim across the weekend.
Friday’s first round will see 32 qualifiers competing, as nine-time televised finalist Jenkins takes on Smith, whose five-year run as the last player to hit a nine-dart finish on the European Tour was ended by Michael van Gerwen in June.
Round one will also see Unicorn Development Tour Order of Merit leader Ted Evetts meet former Players Championship Finals runner-up Mark Webster, who is starring in his first European Tour event of the year.
The seeded players, led by world number one Van Gerwen, Shanghai Darts Master Michael Smith and World Champion Rob Cross, enter at the second round stage on Saturday.
From the original field of entries, Peter Wright has withdrawn. He is replaced by Steve Beaton as a seeded player, with a fifth Host Nation Qualifier being found on Thursday night.
German star Max Hopp headlined the field of Host Nation Qualifiers, alongside World Cup team-mate Martin Schindler and teenager Nico Blum.
Five Dutch stars, including former European Tour event winner Vincent van der Voort, came through the European Qualifier alongside Spanish pair Cristo Reyes and Toni Alcinas.
The German Darts Championship will take place from August 31-September 2, with streaming available for all PDCTV-HD Subscribers worldwide as well as through a series of bookmakers’ websites.
2018 German Darts Championship
Draw Bracket
Rob Cross (3) v Lee Bryant/Kyle Anderson
Simon Whitlock (14) v Michael Rasztovits/David Pallett
Mensur Suljovic (6) v Andrew Gilding/Max Hopp
Darren Webster (11) v Ricky Evans/Danny Noppert
Jonny Clayton (7) v Jermaine Wattimena/James Wilson
James Wade (10) v Robert Thornton/Robert Marijanovic
Michael Smith (2) v Krzysztof Ratajski/Vincent van der Voort
Stephen Bunting (15) v Richard North/Ron Meulenkamp
Daryl Gurney (4) v Darren Johnson/Christopher Hänsch
Mervyn King (13) v Adrian Lewis/Toni Alcinas
Joe Cullen (5) v Andy Boulton/Josh Payne
Gerwyn Price (12) v Darius Labanauskas/Jan Dekker
Ian White (8) v Terry Jenkins/Ross Smith
Dave Chisnall (9) v Ted Evetts/Mark Webster
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Cristo Reyes/Nico Blum
Steve Beaton (16) v Martin Schindler/Justin Pipe
Schedule of Play
Friday August 31
First Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Andy Boulton v Josh Payne
Ted Evetts v Mark Webster
Lee Bryant v Kyle Anderson
Darren Johnson v Christopher Hänsch
Darius Labanauskas v Jan Dekker
Richard North v Ron Meulenkamp
Andrew Gilding v Max Hopp
Krzysztof Ratajski v Vincent van der Voort
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Martin Schindler v Justin Pipe
Michael Rasztovits v David Pallett
Jermaine Wattimena v James Wilson
Adrian Lewis v Toni Alcinas
Terry Jenkins v Ross Smith
Robert Thornton v Robert Marijanovic
Ricky Evans v Danny Noppert
Cristo Reyes v Nico Blum
Saturday September 1
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Dave Chisnall v Evetts/M Webster
Gerwyn Price v Labanauskas/Dekker
Stephen Bunting v North/Meulenkamp
Joe Cullen v Boulton/Payne
Daryl Gurney v Johnson/Hänsch
Michael Smith v Ratajski/Van der Voort
Steve Beaton v Schindler/Pipe
Simon Whitlock v Rasztovits/Pallett
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Darren Webster v Evans/Noppert
Jonny Clayton v Wattimena/Wilson
James Wade v Thornton/Marijanovic
Rob Cross v Bryant/Anderson
Mensur Suljovic v Gilding/Hopp
Mervyn King v Lewis/Alcinas
Michael van Gerwen v Reyes/Blum
Ian White v Jenkins/R Smith
Sunday September 2
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
All games are the best of 11 legs. Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order.
