German Darts Championship 2022 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The second European Tour event of the season gets underway in Hildesheim on Friday as the qualifiers collide in Round One of the German Darts Championship.
A field of 45 players will battle it out for £140,000 in prize money at Halle 39 this weekend, with a host of star names in action.
The top 16 players from the ProTour Order of Merit (as of February 1) are seeded and enter at the Second Round stage, while 30 qualifiers vie for the right to join them.
The withdrawals of Gerwyn Price, Brendan Dolan and Ted Evetts through illness mean that Mensur Suljovic, Jamie Hughes and Devon Petersen each receive a bye into the Second Round.
Friday afternoon’s session is comprised of six matches, kicking off with two-time BDO World Champion Scott Waites against Finland’s Marko Kantele.
Alan Soutar, who enjoyed a landmark run to the Last 16 of the recent World Championship, starts out against Dutch youngster Luc Peters, while in-form Martin Lukeman faces two-time Lakeside qualifier Jimmy Hendriks.
Belgian ace Mario Vandenbogaerde marks his Euro Tour debut with a clash against Martijn Kleermaker – who reached the Last 16 of the World Championship in December.
Nathan Rafferty, a four-time Development Tour winner and Grand Slam debutant last year, faces former European Tour event finalist Ricky Evans in one of the stand-out ties of the day.
Former World Championship quarter-finalist Darius Labanauskas faces German qualifier Niko Springer – who defeated Jermaine Wattimena and Brendan Dolan before losing out to Peter Wright at the International Open a fortnight ago.
The evening session features a show-down between two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis, now ranked world number 40, and former Tour Card holder Karel Sedlacek – who came through the East European Qualifier.
Daryl Gurney, who claimed this title in 2019, opens up against German prospect Lukas Wenig, while two-time Euro Tour event winner Dave Chisnall meets Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont.
Crowd favourite Vincent van der Voort takes on Euro Tour debutant Gian van Veen, an Associate Member Qualifier, as German ace Martin Schindler takes on rapid Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena.
Two-time Euro Tour event winner Kim Huybrechts takes on former ProTour event winner Joe Murnan, while Spain’s Jose Justicia and former Development Tour event winner George Killington battle it out for the right to face Michael van Gerwen in Saturday’s Second Round.
The action gets under way from 12pm GMT, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
WATCH DAY ONE OF THE GERMAN DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
German Darts Championship 2022 Day One Schedule
All times GMT (Local time one hour ahead)
Friday March 11
First Round
Afternoon Session (12pm-4pm)
Marko Kantele v Scott Waites
Alan Soutar v Luc Peters
Martin Lukeman v Jimmy Hendriks
Mario Vandenbogaerde v Martijn Kleermaker
Darius Labanauskas v Niko Springer
Nathan Rafferty v Ricky Evans
Evening Session (6pm-10pm)
Jose Justicia v George Killington
Martin Schindler v Jermaine Wattimena
Dave Chisnall v Stefan Bellmont
Vincent van der Voort v Gian van Veen
Daryl Gurney v Lukas Wenig
Joe Murnan v Kim Huybrechts
Karel Sedlacek v Adrian Lewis
