PDC US Darts Masters 2018 preview: Friday session

The PDC World Series resumes with the US Darts Masters amid the glamour of Las Vegas.

America's gambling capital hosts 16 hopefuls who are hoping to win big at the Mandalay Bay. 2017 US Darts Masters champion Michael van Gerwen is the favourite to take the title. Current PDC world champion Rob Cross and top seed Peter Wright are also in the mix. There won't be a repeat of the German Darts Masters, in any case. Mensur Suljovic won in Gelsenkirchen but hasn't been invited to the second World Series event of 2018.
Michael Smith has been, and he takes on David Cameron. Much like his political namesake, Cameron often seems to make a quick exit when the going gets tough. The Canadian has never passed the first round at the BDO World Championship in five attempts, and suffered the same fate at the North American Championship on Thursday, where he was whitewashed by John Norman Jnr. After that match comes a meeting between two left-handers, with James Wade making his 2018 World Series bow against Danny Lauby.
Rob meets Ross in the third game as world champion Cross takes on Canadian hopeful Snook, before Dawson Murschell returns to the Mandalay Bay stage. The 22-year-old was left bemused by Norman Jnr's antics in the North American Championship semi-finals. That indicates that he won't have too much fun against Gerwyn Price.
DJ Sayre was impressive despite defeat to Murschell on Thursday and could test Gary Anderson. Then, in the tie of the round, van Gerwen meets newly crowned North American Championship winner Jeff Smith. Wright takes on Joseph Huffman, and there should be fireworks in the last tie as Daryl Gurney, a finalist last year, clashes with the much-maligned Norman Jnr.
Play begins at 12pm local time, making it a 7pm start for UK viewers. All eight matches will be shown live on ITV4.
Click here for the full TV guide.

Friday schedule

Michael Smith v David Cameron James Wade v Danny Lauby Rob Cross v Ross Snook Gerwyn Price v Dawson Murschell Gary Anderson v DJ Sayre Michael van Gerwen v Jeff Smith Peter Wright v Joseph Huffman Daryl Gurney v John Norman Jnr