PDC Czech Darts Open 2019 preview and schedule: Friday evening session

Prague darts fans will be treated to no fewer than six major winners and a decent mix of international talent. Among the cosmopolitan mix is Daniel Larsson, stepping out for his first European Tour outing of the season. He meets Glen Durrant, who slumped to a disappointing first round defeat against Kevin Burness at the Danish Darts Open. A tie against the Uppsala thrower gives Duzza the perfect chance to bounce back at the Czech Darts Open.

Mervyn King and Steve West meet for the only all-English first round tie. West beat King twice in the European Tour last season but has struggled in Europe so far this year. Following that is a man who certainly isn't struggling; William O'Connor is in hot form. His Czech Darts Open campaign starts against home nation qualifier Vaclav Shieferdecker, who benefits from the European Tour's Czech expansion.

The fourth tie of the evening pits Krzysztof Ratajski against Ted Evetts, with the winner facing Ricky Evans in round two. Evans is no insurmountable opponent for either player, who could see the Czech Darts Open as a major opportunity to impress. Both will be wary of the other's quality, however.

Chris Dobey comes into the Czech Darts Open as a genuine contender. He has earned that status too; neither Ricky Evans, Jose de Sousa nor Gerwyn Price could halt his run to the Danish Darts Open final. Dobey has no need to fear anyone in his quarter of the draw. However, Sebastian Steyer shouldn't be underestimated. The next player off the Polish conveyor belt of talent is headed for the Lakeside in January, due to consistent good form.

Ron Meulenkamp is one of the players who can technically qualify for the World Matchplay. Extra emphasis on the word "technically", there. The Bomb will be keen simply to avoid a first round self-destruction. He takes on one of the home nation qualifiers for the Czech Darts Open, Jan Hlavacek.

Four top players round off the session, hopefully in some style. Stephen Bunting hasn't quite got going this season, but the Bullet is good enough to make a dent in any tournament. He plays Robert Thornton, a man on a mission. Thornton wants to be back at the top, and the Czech Darts Open could be the next step on the road to success.

Jamie Hughes and Devon Petersen complete the Czech Darts Open first round. Hughes, one of the PDC's biggest scorers, badly needs to marry his boundless talent with a few wins. Petersen has put in some excellent floor performances, and loves the stage. Whoever wins this one is a dark horse, and a major hurdle for Adrian Lewis to leap in round two.

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18:15 Glen Durrant v Daniel Larsson
18:45 Mervyn King v Steve West
19:15 Vaclav Shieferdecker v William O'Connor
19:45 Krzysztof Ratajski v Ted Evetts
20:15 Chris Dobey v Sebastian Steyer
20:45 Ron Meulenkamp v Jan Hlavacek
21:15 Stephen Bunting v Robert Thornton
21:45 Jamie Hughes v Devon Petersen