Michael van Gerwen begins his PDC World Championship campaign with the eyes of the world set squarely on him.
But there's more going on than just the PDC world number one's Ally Pally kick-off. First of all, London welcomes Craig Ross. The New Zealander is such an unknown that he doesn't yet have a Wikipedia page. Ross, a beekeeper by trade, will surely be buzzing for his first ever TV match. His opponent, Antonio Alcinas, has graced the stage plenty of times. Last year he went beyond the first round of the World Championship for the first time, and the Spaniard will want to repeat the trick. There are some games in this World Championship that show off the cosmopolitan, exciting look of the modern game. Ryan Searle versus Stephen Burton isn't really one of them. That said, it could be a really intriguing clash. Burton performed well at the PDPA Qualifier, and the Suffolk debutant will be keen to claim a win. But Searle, also making his first Ally Pally appearance, garnered experience from three Grand Slam games. Mensur Suljovic awaits the winner. More importantly - especially for Burton - a win could be decisive in the race for a Tour Card.
Photo: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
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One of the big shocks last year was Keegan Brown's win over James Wade. The Needle was eventually blunted by Phil Taylor, but it was a strong springboard towards reaching this year's event. This time around he needs to avoid being shocked himself, by Czech debutant Karel Sedlacek. Jelle Klaasen is the second round opponent for one of this pair.
The Ally Pally crowd will be waiting for Michael van Gerwen, so the anticipation will be palpable when the Dutchman emerges. The pressure on him is, as ever, incredibly high. But the ever-ambitious two-time world champion puts that pressure on himself. Alan Tabern can't just be beaten. They must be blown away. Anything less, and the critics circling around van Gerwen may sense blood in the water. What's more, his title rivals might do the same. There's no rest for the wicked, so they say, and van Gerwen is one wicked player.
Click here for more information about the PDC World Darts Championship, including schedules and the prize fund breakdown.
Evening session schedule
19:10 Antonio Alcinas vs Craig Ross (R1) 20:10 Ryan Searle vs Stephen Burton (R1) 21:10 Keegan Brown vs Karel Sedlacek (R1) 22:10 Michael van Gerwen vs Alan Tabern(R2)
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