PDC European Championship: Tournament Preview

The PDC European Championship will mark the first ever PDC major tournament to be held in Belgium as a field of thirty-two players – including eight seeds – compete for the £65,000 winners cheque.

First round matches will take place over two sessions on Friday before the second round is completed, again over two sessions, on Saturday. The quarter-final matches will be played on Sunday afternoon. The tournament finally concludes on Sunday evening with the semi-finals and finals.

Phil Taylor hasn’t emerged as tournament winner for the previous three years after winning the first four tournaments sine the European Championship’s inception in 2008. He begins as the number three seed and will face Vincent van der Voort in the first round, who incidentally beat ‘The Power’ at this year’s World Grand Prix in straight sets, also in the first round.

Michael van Gerwen will begin the defence of his title as the number one seed, and faces Jeffrey de Zwaan on Friday. The former World Champion will be fresh and ready for action after not playing at the Players Championship events in Coventry at the weekend.

Gary Anderson hasn’t made it past the second round in any of the majors this year – the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix – and will be hoping for a better display here. The World Champion won a ProTour event at the weekend, so is in good form going into his first round match against Brendan Dolan.

Number four seed Peter Wright also triumphed at the ProTour in Coventry, beating Benito van de Pas on Saturday to win Players Championship 19. He will come up against Alan Norris in the first round.

Other standout ties in the opening round include Michael Smith’s third TV meeting of the year with Gerwyn Price and a repeat of a 2015 World Matchplay epic in Stephen Bunting against an in-form Ian White. Mensur Suljovic has caused a few upsets this year, and faces Premier League star Dave Chisnall in the first round on Friday.

Here is the draw bracket and weekend schedule in full.

First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Cristo Reyes v Max Hopp
Ian White (8) v Stephen Bunting
Mensur Suljovic v Dave Chisnall
Robert Thornton (5) v John Henderson
Christian Kist v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Peter Wright (4) v Alan Norris
Kim Huybrechts v Mervyn King
Gary Anderson (2) v Brendan Dolan
Simon Whitlock v Magnus Caris
James Wade (7) v Terry Jenkins
Jelle Klaasen v Raymond van Barneveld
Adrian Lewis (6) v Benito van de Pas
Justin Pipe v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Phil Taylor (3) v Vincent van der Voort
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price

Friday 30th October
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm UK time)
First Round x8
Cristo Reyes v Max Hopp
Christian Kist v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Simon Whitlock v Magnus Caris
Justin Pipe v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Ian White v Stephen Bunting
Robert Thornton v John Henderson
Peter Wright v Alan Norris

Evening Session (7pm-11pm UK time)
First Round x8
Adrian Lewis v Benito van de Pas
Mensur Suljovic v Dave Chisnall
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson v Brendan Dolan
Jelle Klaasen v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Vincent van der Voort
Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Kim Huybrechts v Mervyn King

Saturday 31st October
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm UK time)
Second Round x4
Thornton/Henderson v Kist/Rodriguez
White/Bunting v Suljovic/Chisnall
Lewis/van de Pas v Pipe/van Duijvenbode
Anderson/Dolan v Whitlock/Caris

Evening Session (7pm-11pm UK time)
Second Round x4
Wright/Norris v Huybrechts/King
Taylor/van der Voort v Smith/Price
van Gerwen/de Zwaan v Reyes/Hopp
Wade/Jenkins v Klaasen/van Barneveld

Sunday 1st November
Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm UK time)
Quarter-Finals
Order of play TBC

Evening Session (7pm-11pm UK time)
Semi-Finals & Final

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