- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Anderson to open World Champs
- Updated: November 30, 2016
Gary Anderson will kick off his quest for a third successive William Hill World Darts Championship on the opening night of the event, Thursday December 15.
The Flying Scotsman has won each of the last two editions of the event, beating Adrian Lewis in last year’s final to make it back-to-back Sid Waddell trophies after claiming his first in 2015 with victory over Phil Taylor.
The festivities get underway at Alexandra Palace on December 15, with every session, match and dart shown live on the relaunched Sky Sports Darts channel and it’s the two-time defending champ Anderson who will headline the opening night.
Four first round matches will get the action underway, with Jamie Cavan and Kevin ‘The Artist’ Painter the first match of the 2017 Championship followed by Jamie Lewis v Mick McGowan and then Anderson’s tough looking opener against the seasonally-named ‘Frosty the Throwman’ – Mark Frost.
Michael Smith against ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans will bring down the curtain on the opening night.
A 72-player field has been assembled for this year’s event which has a record £1.65m prize fund on offer and will run from December 15 until the final on Monday January 2, the preliminary and first round matches stretches across eight days.
Other first-round highlights include world No 1 Michael van Gerwen kicking off his quest for a second world title and 26th title of the year, he begins on Saturday December 17 against either Ross Snook or Kim Viljanen while Phil Taylor will play the winner of John Bowles v David Platt preliminary round encounter.
Raymond van Barneveld will play Robbie Green on Tuesday December 20 while on Wednesday December 21 Mensur Suljovic, James Wade and Robert Thornton will all to take to the oche for a bumper night of arrows.
Schedule of Play Preliminary & First Round – (P) denotes Preliminary Round
Thursday December 15 (7pm)
Jamie Caven (29) v Kevin Painter
Jamie Lewis (30) v Mick McGowan
Gary Anderson (2) v Mark Frost
Michael Smith (11) v Ricky Evans
Friday December 16 (7pm)
Jerry Hendriks v Warren Parry …
