Queensland Darts Masters 2022 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2022 Queensland Darts Masters gets under way in Townsville on Friday as the PDC representatives and Oceanic qualifiers collide.
After a three-year wait, the World Series event finally touches down at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre as eight PDC representatives and eight Oceanic representatives compete for the £20,000 top prize.
The opening day plays host to eight First Round ties as the big names aim to avoid an early exit in the first of three events in as many weeks Down Under.
Top seed Dimitri van den Bergh launches his quest for a hat-trick of World Series titles with a clash against New Zealand-born Australian Koha Kokiri – a PDC World Championship qualifier in 2015.
Van den Bergh, the Nordic Masters and Dutch Masters champion, was announced as a late replacement for Peter Wright – who withdrew from the triple-header of events for medical reasons.
Arguably the stand-out tie of the opening round sees world number one Gerwyn Price take on Aussie number one – Damon Heta.
Price enjoyed a resurgent run to the final of the World Matchplay last month, hitting a nine-darter along the way, only to be denied glory by Michael van Gerwen.
World Series Finals champion in 2020, Price is yet to win a regular World Series event and faces a formidable opening test against the world number 19.
Heta announced his arrival into the big time by winning the Brisbane Masters in 2019 as a DPA Qualifier and has since gone on to win two PDC ranking titles and most recently the World Cup of Darts.
Heta’s World Cup winning team-mate Simon Whitlock looks to mark a triumphant return to home soil when he takes on world number five James Wade.
Crowd favourite Whitlock is making his 27th World Series appearance and was notably runner-up in the 2014 Singapore Masters.
Only Wright and Van Gerwen have made more World Series appearances than Wade (39), but his sole title to date came at the World Series Finals in 2018.
The 39-year-old welcomed the birth of his second child less than a week ago and will look to mark the occasion in style on his return to playing duty.
Fallon Sherrock’s first competitive outing since being crowned the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay champion sees her take on Australian ace Gordon Mathers.
Sherrock created a further slice of history in Blackpool last month and will look to pick up from where she left off at the Winter Gardens for what is her fourth World Series campaign of the season.
World number 81 Mathers is one of three Australian Tour Card holders in the line-up and has three previous PDC World Championship appearances to his name.
World Matchplay champion Van Gerwen kicks off his bid for a 17th World Series title with a tie against TV debutant Bailey Marsh – who will also feature in the World Youth Championship later this year.
Van Gerwen was runner-up in June’s US Masters and defied an arm injury to claim a sixth Premier League title, in addition to a further five ranking titles this year.
Premier League finalist and Masters champion Joe Cullen marks his first appearance in Australia with a show-down against home qualifier Dave Marland – who previously featured in the 2017 Melbourne Masters.
Reigning World Series Finals champion Jonny Clayton kicks off with a contest against New Zealand’s Haupai Puha – World Cup of Darts quarter-finalist in 2019.
US Masters champion Michael Smith, the number two seed, opens up with a tie against World Series debutant Joe Comito of Australia.
The action gets under way from 10am BST (7pm local time) with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 11 legs.
Queensland Darts Masters Day One 2022 Schedule
All times BST (local time nine hours ahead)
Friday August 12
First Round
10am-2pm
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Koha Kokiri
Joe Cullen v Dave Marland
Jonny Clayton v Haupai Puha
Fallon Sherrock v Gordon Mathers
James Wade v Simon Whitlock
Michael van Gerwen v Bailey Marsh
Gerwyn Price v Damon Heta
Michael Smith v Joe Comito
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