European Darts Matchplay 2019 Day Two preview and order of play: Top 16 seeds enter the fray

The Second Round ties take place across two unmissable sessions at the 2019 European Darts Matchplay on Saturday as a series of big names commence their campaigns in Mannheim.

Friday’s opening round at the Maimarkthalle saw early exits for the likes of Simon Whitlock, Jeffrey de Zwaan and Max Hopp, now a number of seeded stars will be out to put prize crucial money to their name in the race for European Championship qualification.

Michael Smith, the highest ranked player currently outside of the provisional European Championship places, is embroiled in perhaps the stand-out tie of the Second Round as he faces rival Michael van Gerwen.

Smith’s below-par performances on the European Tour this season mean he is unseeded this weekend, but he averted a potential scalp against Steve Lennon in Friday’s opening salvo.

Van Gerwen, the defending European Matchplay champion, is bidding for a fifth European Tour title of 2019 as he looks to go one better than last week’s runner-up spot in Austria and avenge his 8-6 defeat to Smith in June’s US Masters Quarter-Finals.

Number two seed Ian White, a winner of two Euro Tour titles this season, faces a crunch clash against Gabriel Clemens – Germany’s most in-form darter at present who reached the final of the German Masters.

Three-time Lakeside Champion Glen Durrant marks his return to action following a month-long break with a tie against New Zealand World Cup star Cody Harris – who saw off Ross Smith in Round One.

Youth meets experience as 19-year-old raw talent Bradley Brooks, conqueror of Mark McGeeney in Round One, faces eight-time televised title winner James Wade.

A repeat of their UK Open Quarter-Final back in March sees Gerwyn Price take on Plymouth’s Simon Stevenson, while multiple ProTour event winner Krzysztof Ratajski, now seeded number nine, faces former World Youth Champion Keegan Brown.

Two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis opens up against lively Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode, as former Austrian Open winner Jonny Clayton meets Bolton’s Scott Tayor – who reached the Last 16 of the recent BDO World Trophy.

A repeat of their 2017 World Grand Prix Semi-Final sees two-time major winner Daryl Gurney take on Premier League ‘Contender’ John Henderson, while world number two Rob Cross looks to spoil the party by ending the hopes of debutant German qualifier Marvin Wehder.

Karsten Koch, who raised the roof with a spectacular 170 checkout to seal victory over Maik Kuivenhoven on Friday, now looks to cause another upset when he faces two-time Euro Tour finalist Ricky Evans.

Mensur Suljovic aims to pick up from where he left off on home soil in Vienna last week by kick-starting his run towards a second successive Euro Tour title by overcoming Belgian star Kim Huybrechts – who battled past Robert Thornton in Round One.

UK Open champion Nathan Aspinall faces a tough test against former World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Jones – who reeled off four consecutive legs to stun De Zwaan in the final match of Friday’s evening session.

German Masters champion Peter Wright aims to dent William O’Connor’s hopes of reaching the European Championship when he faces off with last year’s beaten European Matchplay finalist.

Danish Open champion Dave Chisnall opens up against Ipswich left-hander Ryan Meikle, while Czech Open champion Jamie Hughes faces world number 18 Joe Cullen.

The action gets underway from midday, with Second Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.

All times BST (local time one hour ahead)

Saturday September 7

Second Round

Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)

Dave Chisnall v Ryan Meikle

Jonny Clayton v Scott Taylor

James Wade v Bradley Brooks

Adrian Lewis v Dirk van Duijvenbode

Glen Durrant v Cody Harris

Daryl Gurney v John Henderson

Gerwyn Price v Simon Stevenson

Rob Cross v Marvin Wehder

Evening Session (6.15pm-10.15pm)

Ricky Evans v Karsten Koch

Ian White v Gabriel Clemens

Krzysztof Ratajski v Keegan Brown

Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith

Mensur Suljovic v Kim Huybrechts

Peter Wright v William O’Connor

Nathan Aspinall v Wayne Jones

Joe Cullen v Jamie Hughes