Darts returns to our TV Screens

Lenny Boyle

Follow @elven11

European Darts Championship on ESPN

After a small absence darts is back on our screens. In the form of the European Championship on ESPN. It begins Thursday and concludes Sunday. Phil Taylor has won the competition the previous four times it has been staged, but as his UK Open final loss to Robert Thornton proved; Phil Taylor is not invincible.

World Champion Adrian Lewis won the German Masters. So goes into the tournament on some form. He hit a nine-darter at this event last year, and will be looking to win the thing. To prove he doesn’t only win the Worlds. Which after all isn’t a bad tournament to win, if you’re going to pick one.

Ian White was the man to challenge Adrian Lewis in that German Masters final. He also hit a nine-darter on the way. He could be a fun each way bet if you’re interested in that kind of thing.

Here’s the schedule for the European Darts Championship. It’s good to have tungsten back.

PartyPoker.net European Championship
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Magnus Caris
Jerry Hendriks v Mensur Suljovic
Mark Webster (8) v Andree Welge
Justin Pipe v Brendan Dolan
Andy Hamilton (5) v Paul Nicholson
Ronnie Baxter v Michael Rosenauer
Wes Newton (4) v Tomas Seyler
Mervyn King v Kevin Painter
Adrian Lewis (2) v Ian White
Kim Huybrechts v Vincent van der Voort
Terry Jenkins (7) v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v Andy Smith
Simon Whitlock (6) v Mark Walsh
Dave Chisnall v Gino Vos
James Wade (3) v Colin Lloyd
Richie Burnett v Co Stompe

Schedule of Play
Thursday September 20
First Round
8.05pm Jerry Hendriks v Mensur Suljovic
8.35pm Mark Webster v Andree Welge
9.05pm Justin Pipe v Brendan Dolan
9.35pm Andy Hamilton v Paul Nicholson
10.05pm Wes Newton v Tomas Seyler
10.35pm Phil Taylor v Magnus Caris
11.05pm Mervyn King v Kevin Painter
11.35pm Ronnie Baxter v Michael Rosenauer

Friday September 21
First Round
8.05pm Michael van Gerwen v Andy Smith
8.35pm Richie Burnett v Co Stompe
9.05pm Dave Chisnall v Gino Vos
9.35pm Simon Whitlock v Mark Walsh
10.05pm James Wade v Colin Lloyd
10.35pm Adrian Lewis v Ian White
11.05pm Terry Jenkins v Raymond van Barneveld
11.35pm Kim Huybrechts v Vincent van der Voort

Saturday September 22
Afternoon Session
Second Round
2.10pm Webster/Welge v Pipe/Dolan
3.10pm Hamilton/Nicholson v Baxter/Rosenauer
4.10pm Newton/Seyler v King/Painter
5.10pm Taylor/Caris v Hendricks/Suljovic

Evening Session
Second Round
8.10pm Whitlock/Walsh v Chisnall/Vos
9.10pm Jenkins/van Barneveld v van Gerwen/Smith
10.10pm Lewis/White v Huybrechts/van der Voort
11.10pm Wade/Lloyd v Burnett/Stompe

Sunday September 23
Afternoon Session

Quarter-Finals
2.10pm
3.10pm
4.10pm
5.10pm

Evening Session
Semi-Finals
8.10pm
9.10pm

Final
Approx 10.30pm
Order of Play for Quarter-Finals & Semi-Finals to be confirmed

Format
First Round Best of 11 legs
Second Round Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals Best of 21 legs
Final Best of 21 legs

PartyPoker.net European Championship Qualifiers
Top 16 from PDC Order of Merit
1 Phil Taylor (England)
2 Adrian Lewis (England)
3 James Wade (England)
4 Wes Newton (England)
5 Andy Hamilton (England)
6 Simon Whitlock (Australia)
7 Terry Jenkins (England)
8 Mark Webster (Wales)
9 Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands)
10 Justin Pipe (England)
11 Kevin Painter (England)
12 Dave Chisnall (England)
13 Ronnie Baxter (England)
14 Mark Walsh (England)
15 Paul Nicholson (Australia)
16 Vincent van der Voort (Netherlands)

ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers
Ian White (England)
Kim Huybrechts (Belgium)
Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands)
Colin Lloyd (England)
Richie Burnett (Wales)
Brendan Dolan (Northern Ireland)
Andy Smith (England)
Mervyn King (England)

European Order of Merit Qualifiers
Magnus Caris (Sweden)
Co Stompe (Netherlands)
Gino Vos (Netherlands)
Jerry Hendriks (Netherlands)
Mensur Suljovic (Austria)
Andree Welge (Germany)
Michael Rosenauer (Germany)
Tomas Seyler (Germany)