DIMITRI Van den Bergh will take on Andrew Gilding in a battle of the two most recent UK Open champions on the opening night of the inaugural Flanders Darts Trophy on Friday.
The 2024 PDC European Tour will make a second visit to Belgium from September 6-8, as a star-studded 48-player field compete in the £175,000 event at Antwerp Expo.
Belgian number one Van den Bergh will take centre stage on home soil in the new European Tour event, as he faces 2023 UK Open winner Gilding for the right to play Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko in Saturday’s second round.
Peter Wright – the winner at last weekend’s German Darts Championship – will begin his bid for back-to-back titles against fellow veteran Brendan Dolan, with Martin Schindler awaiting the winner in round two.
Friday’s first round, which will be held across two sessions from 1300 & 1900 local time (1200 & 1800 BST), also features a tasty clash between ten-time TV title winner James Wade and in-form Cameron Menzies.
Jonny Clayton and Dirk van Duijvenbode go head-to-head in another stand-out contest, as Raymond van Barneveld and Maik Kuivenhoven lock horns in an all-Dutch affair.
Belgian number two Mike De Decker will also star on Friday night when he opens his campaign against Richard Veenstra, with Joe Cullen and Callan Rydz also set to do battle.
The 16 seeded players enter the action in Saturday’s second round stage, with world number one Luke Humphries marking his return to European Tour action against Daryl Gurney or Ritchie Edhouse.
Second seed Dave Chisnall has been handed a tough opener against Menzies or Wade, as Gerwyn Price goes up against Luke Woodhouse or Luc Bogaert.
Michael van Gerwen kicks off his challenge for a record-extending 37th European Tour success against Gabriel Clemens or Martin Lukeman, as Clayton and Van Duijvenbode compete for the right to play Damon Heta.
Luke Littler, the Belgian Darts Open winner in Wieze back in March, could begin his bid for another European Tour success in Belgium against Jermaine Wattimena, who will take on Host Nation representative Brian Raman in Friday’s first round.
Ross Smith – a two-time runner-up on the European Tour in 2024 – faces either De Decker or Veenstra, while Danny Noppert will face Dutch opposition in the shape of Van Barneveld or Kuivenhoven.
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.
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.
NB: From the original entries, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall have withdrawn from the event and are replaced from the Reserve List by Mike De Decker and Scott Williams.
2024 Flanders Darts Trophy
Antwerp Xpo, Belgium, September 6-8
Tournament Draw Bracket
Second Round Onwards
(6) Josh Rock v Jitse Van der Wal/Sebastian Bialecki
(11) Chris Dobey v Francois Schweyen/Kevin Doets
(3) Gerwyn Price v Luke Woodhouse/Luc Bogaert
(14) Gian van Veen v Krzysztof Ratajski/Robert Owen
(7) Stephen Bunting v Marko Kantele/Scott Williams
(10) Martin Schindler v Brendan Dolan/Peter Wright
(2) Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies/James Wade
(15) Michael van Gerwen v Gabriel Clemens/Martin Lukeman
(5) Danny Noppert v Raymond van Barneveld/Maik Kuivenhoven
(12) Ricardo Pietreczko v Andrew Gilding/Dimitri Van den Bergh
(4) Damon Heta v Jonny Clayton/Dirk van Duijvenbode
(13) Luke Littler v Jermaine Wattimena/Brian Raman
(8) Ryan Searle v Joe Cullen/Callan Rydz
(9) Ross Smith v Mike De Decker/Richard Veenstra
(1) Luke Humphries v Daryl Gurney/Ritchie Edhouse
(16) Ryan Joyce v Jody Tobback/Alan Soutar
Schedule of Play
Friday September 6
First Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Jitse Van der Wal v Sebastian Bialecki
Marko Kantele v Scott Williams
Jody Tobback v Alan Soutar
Luke Woodhouse v Luc Bogaert
Krzysztof Ratajski v Robert Owen
Jermaine Wattimena v Brian Raman
Gabriel Clemens v Martin Lukeman
Daryl Gurney v Ritchie Edhouse
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Francois Schweyen v Kevin Doets
Jonny Clayton v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Mike De Decker v Richard Veenstra
Raymond van Barneveld v Maik Kuivenhoven
Cameron Menzies v James Wade
Andrew Gilding v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Brendan Dolan v Peter Wright
Joe Cullen v Callan Rydz
Saturday September 7
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Ryan Joyce v Tobback/Soutar
Gian van Veen v Ratajski/Owen
Josh Rock v Van der Wal/Bialecki
Chris Dobey v Schweyen/Doets
Damon Heta v Clayton/Van Duijvenbode
Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Wade
Ross Smith v De Decker/Veenstra
Ryan Searle v Cullen/Rydz
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Stephen Bunting v Kantele/Williams
Gerwyn Price v Woodhouse/Bogaert
Danny Noppert v Van Barneveld/Kuivenhoven
Michael van Gerwen v Clemens/Lukeman
Martin Schindler v Dolan/Wright
Luke Humphries v Gurney/Edhouse
Ricardo Pietreczko v Gilding/Van den Bergh
Luke Littler v Wattimena/Raman
Sunday September 8
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
