Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2021 Day One preview and order of play | Qualifiers collide in Round One
The 2021 Gibraltar Darts Trophy gets under way on Friday as the 32 qualifiers go head-to-head in Round One.
A field of 48 players will battle it out for £140,000 in prize money from September 24-26, with the event to be held at the Europa Sports Park for the first time.
The top 16 players from the ProTour Order of Merit (as of June 28) are seeded and enter at the Second Round stage on Saturday, leaving the 32 qualifiers to battle it out for the right to join them.
Scotland’s John Henderson returns to action for the first time since his World Cup triumph alongside Peter Wright a fortnight ago when he takes on Croatia’s Boris Krcmar in Friday’s afternoon session.
Former World Champion Rob Cross is the highest ranked player in action in the afternoon session as he looks to avert an upset at the hands of Hungary’s Patrik Kovacs and set up a Second Round clash with Michael van Gerwen.
Irish sensation Keane Barry opens up against Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson, while rapid Dutchman Martijn Kleermaker faces former ProTour event winner Joe Murnan.
Former BDO World Masters champion Adam Smith-Neale takes on Justin Broton – one of four players to have progressed through Thursday’s Host Nation qualifier.
Two in-form young guns collide as Adam Hunt meets Geert Nentjes, while Scotland’s Ryan Murray starts out against 13-time Development Tour event winner Ted Evetts.
Mervyn King, European Tour event winner in 2014, kicks off his latest campaign against Gibraltar’s Craig Galliano – a player making his Euro Tour debut.
The evening session plays host to a show-down between UK Open finalist Luke Humphries and German number one Gabriel Clemens for the right to face Devon Petersen in Round Two.
World Champion Gerwyn Price lies in waiting for the winner of the tie between World Championship semi-finalist Stephen Bunting and emerging German star Florian Hempel.
Dyson Parody, Gibraltar’s most successful darter, aims to replicate the form which led him to the Quarter-Finals here in 2016 when he takes on Belgian youngster Kenny Neyens for the right to face Jose De Sousa on Saturday.
Former European Champion Simon Whitlock aims to navigate his way through a tough opener against former European Championship finalist Wayne Jones.
Martin Schindler is in need of a strong run this weekend if he is to gatecrash the upcoming World Grand Prix, but the German faces a formidable opener against two-time Players Championship event winner Ryan Searle.
Kim Huybrechts will be keen to atone for his recent early exit in the World Cup by overcoming Russian number one Boris Koltsov.
Former World Champion Steve Beaton starts out with a tricky tie against Ritchie Edhouse – a three-time ProTour event quarter-finalist this season.
World Matchplay quarter-finalist Callan Rydz faces fellow youngster Justin Hewitt – who represented Gibraltar in the recent World Cup of Darts.
The action gets under way from 12pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
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Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2021 Day One Schedule of Play
All times BST – Local time one hour ahead
Friday September 24
First Round
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Andreas Harrysson v Keane Barry
Martijn Kleermaker v Joe Murnan
Adam Hunt v Geert Nentjes
Justin Broton v Adam Smith-Neale
Ryan Murray v Ted Evetts
Patrik Kovacs v Rob Cross
John Henderson v Boris Krcmar
Mervyn King v Craig Galliano
Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Stephen Bunting v Florian Hempel
Dyson Parody v Kenny Neyens
Ryan Searle v Martin Schindler
Wayne Jones v Simon Whitlock
Boris Koltsov v Kim Huybrechts
Callan Rydz v Justin Hewitt
Ritchie Edhouse v Steve Beaton
Luke Humphries v Gabriel Clemens
