BDO World Championship 2019 Draw: Durrant handed potential Smith-Neale show-down

Back-to-back BDO World Champion Glen Durrant will begin the defence of his title against either Adam Smith-Neale or Mark McGrath at Lakeside in January.

The BDO’s show-piece event takes place at the Lakeside complex in Frimley Green from January 5-13 and will be shown live on Eurosport and Quest.

Durrant, the number two seed, is bidding to become the first player since Eric Bristow in 1986 to win three consecutive BDO world titles.

The Teessider faces a potential re-run of this year’s World Masters final with Smith-Neale if the 25-year-old can overcome New Zealand’s McGrath in the Preliminary Round.

Former UK Open finalist Wes Newton will mark his Lakeside debut with a Preliminary Round show-down against veteran Paul Hogan – Lakeside quarter-finalist in 1995 and 2006.

Former PDC World finalist Andy Hamilton also starts out in the Preliminary Round and will open up against Canada’s David Cameron.

Other stand-out ties include 2018 runner-up Mark McGeeey, the number one seed, versus Dutch ace Derk Telnekes.

Number three seed Jim Williams has been drawn to face either Belgium’s Roger Janssen or Wouter Vaes of the Netherlands, while Scottish stalwart Ross Montgomery meets Scott Baker.

Scott Mitchell, the 2015 Lakeside king, awaits the winner of the Prelim tie between Serbia’s Oliver Ferenc and Ryan Hogarth.

Scott Waites, the 2013 and 2016 champion, will take on Belgian debutant Jeffrey van Egdom, as 2018 semi-finalist Michael Unterbuchner, marks his return with a clash against either Mal Cuming or Justin Thompson.

Wesley Harms, semi-finalist in 2012 and 2013, will face three-time world finalist Tony O’Shea, while Welsh veteran Martin Phillips plays former World Trophy quarter-finalist Conan Whitehead.

The pick of the women’s First Round ties sees reigning and four-time World Champion Lisa Ashton take on Japanese soft-tip star Mikuru Suzuki.

Three-time champion Anastasia Dobromyslova, who recently booked her place in the PDC World Championship, begins her BDO campaign against Laura Turner.

Preliminary Round

Mal Cuming v Justin Thompson

Brian Lokken v Krzysztof Kciuk

Paul Hogan v Wes Newton

David Cameron v Andy Hamilton

Oliver Ferenc v Ryan Hogarth

Mark McGrath v Adam Smith-Neale

Jim Widmayer v Nigel Heydon

Roger Janssen v Wouter Vaes

First Round

Mark McGeeney v Derk Telnekes

Martin Phillips v Conan Whitehead

Richard Veenstra v Widmayer/Heydon

Scott Waites v Jeffrey van Egdom

Michael Unterbuchner v Cuming/Thompson

Wayne Warren v Mark Layton

Wesley Harms v Tony O’Shea

Willem Mandigers v Hogan/Newton

Jim Williams v Janssen/Vaes

Daniel Day v Dean Reynolds

Scott Mitchell v Ferenc/Hogarth

Dave Parletti v Lokken/Kciuk

Gary Robson v Cameron/Hamilton

Chris Landman v Kyle McKinstry

Glen Durrant v McGrath/Smith-Neale

Ross Montgomery v Scott Baker

Ladies First Round Draw

Lorraine Winstanley v Casey Gallagher

Trina Gulliver v Karolina Podgorska

Anastasia Dobromyslova v Laura Turner

Aileen de Graaf v Paula Jacklin

Deta Hedman v Maria O’Brien

Fallon Sherrock v Corrine Hammond

Lisa Ashton v Mikuru Suzuki

Sharon Prins v Roz Bulmer