Top five ties from the PDC European Championship first round

After 13 European Tour meetings, it's down to 32 players in a battle for continental dominance at the PDC European Championship.

Only four players have won this title - Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor four times, Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis once each. All but Taylor are in the mix this weekend. But there are 29 other stars who want to claim European Championship glory in Dortmund.
The first round has thrown up some intriguing ties. Here are five of the best.

Joe Cullen vs Jelle Klaasen

Two hard-hitting, fast-flinging talents go head-to-head in Dortmund. Joe Cullen keeps showing signs of promise but hasn't come close to meeting his potential yet. It's possible that former BDO world champion Jelle Klaasen peaked long ago. But both are about an even match for each other right now, which makes this match hard to call.

Daryl Gurney vs Ricky Evans

Ricky Evans has been a real breath of fresh air in the latter half of the season. Most of that stems from his European Tour showings. Thanks to his run to the Dutch Darts Championship final, Rapid Ricky has earned a spot in some end-of-season showdowns. Raymond van Barneveld was a tricky first round opponent in the Grand Prix. World number five Daryl Gurney is even tougher. But Superchin wasn't at his best on the European Tour this year, failing to reach a single final. There could be a surprise here.

Peter Wright vs Jermaine Wattimena

In 2017, Peter Wright won an impressive five European Tour titles. After reaching the first two finals of 2018, a repeat performance was in the offing. But since then, Snakebite has struggled to make it to the final session of play. He even lost his ever-present status on the European Tour. It means that he's ninth seed in Dortmund. His first round opponent is a real banana skin, too. Jermaine Wattimena has saved his best showings for the European stage and will fancy his chances here.

Gerwyn Price vs Kyle Anderson

Last year, Kyle Anderson lit up the European Championship. But despite a magnificent nine-darter, his tournament still ended in heartbreak. Michael van Gerwen tends to do that. He might feel better about the fact that he can't meet Mighty Mike until the final this time. But the Australian has got enough on his plate with a big first hurdle to jump. Gerwyn Price had a massive dip in early season form but came back to win the International Darts Open. This could go either way, but both will be pumped up for this one in their own ways.

Adrian Lewis vs Dave Chisnall

They might have left the best tie until last here. Adrian Lewis, the 2013 winner, has shown flashes of his old brilliance this year. But in the first round he has Chisnall, who rediscovered some top form himself at the Grand Prix. Lewis made the Gibraltar Darts Trophy final, while Chizzy achieved a European Tour record with a brutal 118.66 average against Mark Webster in Hildesheim. Did someone order an extra large portion of 180s?
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