World Championship schedule: Price headlines opening night

Reigning champion Gerwyn Price will begin his defence of the Sid Waddell Trophy on the opening night of the 2021-2022 PDC World Darts Championship.

The schedule for the opening two rounds has been revealed, with ‘The Iceman’ the main attraction on Wednesday, December 15.

The Welshman, who defeated Gary Anderson in last year’s decider, will face the winner of Ritchie Edhouse vs Lihao Wen.

Two-time champion Adrian Lewis will also be in action, facing Canada’s Matt Campbell for the right to take on Anderson.

Thursday, December 16 will see the first double session, as two-time winner Anderson plays either Lewis – in a possible rematch of two previous finals – or Campbell, and Lisa Ashton meets Dutchman Ron Meulenkamp.

World No 2 Peter Wright will begin his quest for a second Ally Pally title in three years against either Ryan Meikle or 16-year-old German Fabian Schmutzler on Friday, December 17, when 67-year-old legend Paul Lim will also be in action.

Saturday, December 18 will see Michael van Gerwen start his challenge to lift the trophy for a fourth time against Chas Barstow or John Norman Jr.

Fallon Sherrock will face Steve Beaton on Sunday, December 19 as she returns to the stage where she famously became the first woman to beat a man at a World Championship two years ago.

A blockbuster Sunday evening session will also see 2021’s form player Jonny Clayton in action against Keane Barry or Royden Lam.

Returning Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld will make his Alexandra Palace return on Monday, December 20 against Lourence Ilagan, before three-time semi-finalist James Wade begins his campaign.

Tuesday, December 21 will see the first round draw to a close, while 2018/19 runner-up Michael Smith and two-time quarter-finalist Dimitri Van den Bergh will be in second-round action.

A double session of second-round action on Wednesday, December 22 will feature former runner-up Simon Whitlock, two-time semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall and two-time quarter-finalist Luke Humphries.

The second round will conclude across two sessions on Thursday, December 23, when former champion Rob Cross and world No 7 Jose De Sousa are among the stars in action.

Following a three-day Christmas break, the third and fourth rounds will be held from December 27-30, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final being held from January 1-3.

2021-22 World Darts Championship schedule of play

Wednesday, December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ritchie Edhouse v Lihao Wen (R1)
Ricky Evans v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Adrian Lewis v Matt Campbell (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Edhouse/Wen (R2)

Thursday, December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Steve Lennon v Madars Razma (R1)
Scott Mitchell v Chris Landman (R1)
Chas Barstow v John Norman Jnr (R1)
Daryl Gurney v Evans/Kumar (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
William O’Connor v Danny Lauby (R1)
Ryan Meikle v Fabian Schmutzler (R1)
Ron Meulenkamp v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Gary Anderson v Lewis/Campbel (R2)

Friday, December 17
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ryan Joyce v Roman Benecky (R1)
Keane Barry v Royden Lam (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Boris Koltsov (R1)
Krzysztof Ratajski v Lennon/Razma (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Joe Murnan v Paul Lim (R1)
William Borland v Bradley Brooks (R1)
Ross Smith v Jeff Smith (R1)
Peter Wright v Meikle/Schmutzler (R2)

Saturday, December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jamie Hughes v Raymond Smith (R1)
Callan Rydz v Yuki Yamada (R1)
Darius Labanauskas v Charles Losper (R1)
Ian White v Mitchell/Landman (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Adam Hunt v Boris Krcmar (R1)
Ted Evetts v Jim Williams (R1)
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Nick Kenny (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Barstow/Norman Jnr (R2)

Sunday, December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Maik Kuivenhoven v Ky Smith (R1)
Jason Heaver v Juan Francisco Rodriguez (R1)
Alan Soutar v Diogo Portela (R1)
Stephen Bunting v Ross Smith/J Smith (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martijn Kleermaker v John Michael (R1)
Florian Hempel v Martin Schindler (R1)
Steve Beaton v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Jonny Clayton v Barry/Lam (R2)

Monday, December 20 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Luke Woodhouse v James Wilson (R1)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Ben Robb (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
James Wade v Kuivenhoven/K Smith (R2)

Tuesday, December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
Lewy Williams v Toyokazu Shibata (R1)
Jason Lowe v Daniel Larsson (R1)
Mervyn King v Joyce/Benecky (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Labanauskas/Losper (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Vincent van der Voort v Hunt/Krcmar (R2)
Michael Smith v Meulenkamp/Ashton (R2)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Hempel/Schindler (R2)
Devon Petersen v Hughes/Raymond Smith (R2)

Wednesday, December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Ryan Searle v Borland/Brooks (R2)
Glen Durrant v O’Connor/Lauby (R2)
Luke Humphries v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Kenny (R2)
Joe Cullen v Evetts/J Williams (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Nathan Aspinall v Murnan/Lim (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Wattimena/Koltsov (R2)
Kim Huybrechts v Beaton/Sherrock (R2)
Simon Whitlock v Kleermaker/Michael (R2)

Thursday, December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Damon Heta v Woodhouse/Wilson (R2)
Brendan Dolan v Rydz/Yamada (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Soutar/Portela (R2)
Jose de Sousa v Lowe/Larsson (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Danny Noppert v Heaver/Jose Francisco Rodriguez (R2)
Gabriel Clemens v L Williams/Shibata (R2)
Rob Cross v Van Barneveld/Ilagan (R2)
Chris Dobey v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Robb (R2)

Monday, December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Tuesday, December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Wednesday, December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Thursday, December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Saturday, January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1930 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Sunday, January 2 (1930 GMT)
2x Semi-Finals

Monday, January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final

*Schedule subject to change

Format
First Round – Best of five sets
Second Round – Best of five sets
Third Round – Best of seven sets
Fourth Round – Best of seven sets
Quarter-Finals – Best of nine sets
Semi-Finals – Best of 11 sets
Final – Best of 13 sets

Watch all the action live on Sky Sports.