Gerwyn Price will begin his defence of the NEO.bet International Darts Open against Brendan Dolan with the draw and schedule for this weekend’s event confirmed.
The WT Energiesysteme Arena is playing host to the third PDC European Tour event of 2024 from April 12-14, as 48 players battle it out for the £30,000 top prize in Riesa.
The weekend’s action will see reigning champion Price bidding to retain the title, with world number one Luke Humphries chasing back-to-back European Tour titles following his German Darts Grand Prix triumph a fortnight ago.
Dolan came through a potentially tough opener, against local nation qualifier Kai Gotthardt, 6-2 early in today’s session.
Friday’s first round – which will be broadcast through PDCTV, Viaplay and DAZN – will feature 16 matches across two sessions, as Germany’s number one Gabriel Clemens takes on two-time World Champion Peter Wright in a stand-out tie.
Clemens’ World Cup partner Martin Schindler will play debutant Jan Dueckers in an all-German affair, while World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall meets Owen Bates for a place in the second round.
World Youth Championship finalist Gian van Veen will face five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld for the second consecutive European Tour event, while Belgium’s Mike De Decker plays ten-time TV title winner James Wade.
Australian stalwart Simon Whitlock will make his first European Tour appearance of 2024 against Scottish star Cameron Menzies, with Whitlock’s fellow veteran Mervyn King pitted against William O’Connor in another intriguing tie.
UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh begins his challenge against Czech qualifier Alexander Masek, while Andrew Gilding – a UK Open champion in 2023 – locks horns with Richard Veenstra in his opener.
Host Nation Qualifiers Michael Unterbuchner, Patrick Klingelhoefer and Gotthardt will also be in first round action on Friday, with Klingelhoefer and Gotthardt up against Northern Irish duo Daryl Gurney and Dolan respectively.
The 16 seeded players will then enter the fray in Saturday’s second round, as Price sets his sights on a record-extending fifth International Darts Open crown, having also lifted the title in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Top seed Dave Chisnall will take on either Veenstra or Gilding, while World Champion Humphries plays Jose de Sousa or Cor Dekker for a place in the third round.
Dirk van Duijvenbode will await the winner of the clash between Clemens and 2017 winner Wright, as seventh seed Rob Cross faces Dutch opposition in the shape of Van Veen or Van Barneveld.
2020 champion Joe Cullen meets the winner of the all-German showdown between Schindler and Dueckers, before 2015 winner Michael Smith goes up against Jitse van der Wal or Ritchie Edhouse.
Home favourite Ricardo Pietreczko has been handed a tough assignment against De Decker or Wade, while Danny Noppert faces a potential tussle against Van den Bergh in a battle of the UK Open champions.
Jonny Clayton could renew his rivalry with Aspinall for a place in the last 16, Josh Rock will battle it out against Menzies or Whitlock, as Chris Dobey and Dylan Slevin compete for the right to play Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.
Following Saturday’s second round, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
NB: From the original list of entries, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson have withdrawn from the event, and have been replaced by Lee Evans and Dylan Slevin from the Reserve List.
Stephen Bunting and Joe Cullen have moved into the seeded positions in the absence of Van Gerwen and Anderson.
Live coverage of all 2024 European Tour events will be streamed through Viaplay, and through DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Coverage will also be shown on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers’ worldwide.
2024 NEO.bet International Darts Open
Riesa, Germany, April 12-14
Tournament Draw Bracket
Second Round Onwards
(1) Dave Chisnall v Richard Veenstra/Andrew Gilding
(16) Joe Cullen v Jan Dueckers/Martin Schindler
(8) Jonny Clayton v Owen Bates/Nathan Aspinall
(9) Danny Noppert v Alexander Masek/Dimitri Van den Bergh
(4) Damon Heta v Callan Rydz/Lee Evans
(13) Ryan Searle v Daryl Gurney/Patrick Klingelhoefer
(5) Dirk van Duijvenbode v Gabriel Clemens/Peter Wright
(12) Krzysztof Ratajski v Chris Dobey/Dylan Slevin
(2) Luke Humphries v Jose de Sousa/Cor Dekker
(15) Stephen Bunting v Michael Unterbuchner/Luke Woodhouse
(7) Rob Cross v Gian van Veen/Raymond van Barneveld
(10) Michael Smith v Jitse van der Wal/Ritchie Edhouse
(3) Gerwyn Price v Kai Gotthardt/Brendan Dolan
(14) Ricardo Pietreczko v Mike De Decker/James Wade
(6) Josh Rock v Cameron Menzies/Simon Whitlock
(11) Ross Smith v William O’Connor/Mervyn King
Schedule of Play
Friday April 12
First Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Jitse van der Wal v Ritchie Edhouse
Kai Gotthardt v Brendan Dolan
Michael Unterbuchner v Luke Woodhouse
Alexander Masek v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Richard Veenstra v Andrew Gilding
Daryl Gurney v Patrick Klingelhoefer
Callan Rydz v Lee Evans
William O’Connor v Mervyn King
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Jose De Sousa v Cor Dekker
Chris Dobey v Dylan Slevin
Jan Dueckers v Martin Schindler
Mike De Decker v James Wade
Cameron Menzies v Simon Whitlock
Gian van Veen v Raymond van Barneveld
Gabriel Clemens v Peter Wright
Owen Bates v Nathan Aspinall
Saturday April 13
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Ross Smith v O’Connor/King
Damon Heta v Rydz/Evans
Ryan Searle v Gurney/Klingelhoefer
Krzysztof Ratajski v Dobey/Slevin
Danny Noppert v Masek/Van den Bergh
Stephen Bunting v Unterbuchner/Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton v Bates/Aspinall
Michael Smith v Van der Wal/Edhouse
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Ricardo Pietreczko v De Decker/Wade
Dave Chisnall v Veenstra/Gilding
Joe Cullen v Dueckers/Schindler
Gerwyn Price v Gotthardt/Dolan
Josh Rock v Menzies/Whitlock
Luke Humphries v De Sousa/Dekker
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Clemens/Wright
Rob Cross v Van Veen/Van Barneveld
Sunday April 14
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC Europe
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