2021 PDC World Darts Championship schedule: Monday evening session including Ratajski and Price

There's good news and bad news about day seven of the PDC World Championship.

The bad news is that we'll only get one session of play at the Alexandra Palace. On the flip side, the session's jam-packed with quality. Gerwyn Price, Krzysztof Ratajski, Ian White and Gabriel Clemens all kick off their World Championship campaigns. Only two seeds have gone out so far - could more fall by the wayside here?

First up is a tie between two players you'd be comfortable in describing as 'solid'. Krzysztof Ratajski is one of the most focused players about, and one who has no real weakness, which means that if he's firing then it's on all cylinders. Somehow, the Pole only has one World Championship win in three visits, and has never shown anything like his best at the Ally Pally. If Jose de Sousa can end a dry patch, then Ratajski can too.

Ryan Joyce is quite the banana skin; his propensity for hitting the doubles, especially the double 16, makes him an opponent you don't want to make mistakes against. By his own admission, Joyce wasn't really at the races in periods against Karel Sedlacek, and was lucky to survive. He'll need his scoring boots on to keep up with Ratajski.

Either Ian White or Kim Huybrechts will take on Ryan Searle in the third round. Huybrechts, a year on from averaging 103 in his opener against Daniel Larsson, he put in a 104 average to perform a bit of overkill on the hopelessly outgunned Di Zhuang.

Huybrechts' professionalism deserves real credit, especially when players' performances tend to wane when they're not pushed all the way. The Belgian will definitely be made to work by White, who has lost in the second round on each of his last three Alexandra Palace trips and must be desperate to make amends.

Here comes Gerwyn Price, who'll be hoping to do what Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen have done, and stroll into the third round. Price has often suffered slow starts at the World Championship - his weakest performance by far last year was a gritty second round success against Willie O'Connor. Getting off on the right foot here would be the perfect morale boost for a man many consider the favourite.

Jamie Lewis isn't a bookie's favourite, but will definitely have the backing of any fan not in the Price camp - and not for the usual pantomime-like reasons. Lewis bouncing back to beat Luke Woodhouse was a fitting tribute to his year as a whole. This seems like a relative Everest to climb, but even if he should lose to his fellow Welshman, it feels like we might see more of the old Jamie Lewis in 2021.

Unfortunately for darts fans out in Germany, they're about to see their remaining representation cut in half. Either Gabriel Clemens or Nico Kurz will join Max Hopp in exiting the World Championship, while the winner will take on world champion Peter Wright. Kurz, a massively exciting prospect who handled Andy Hamilton expertly, won't fear either Clemens or Wright.

For Clemens, meanwhile, this is a chance to finally show what he's made of at the Alexandra Palace after first and second round exits in his last two showings. The German Giant is among the seeds this year, and has bolstered his major credentials this year. If both of these two get into their stride, this could be a massively entertaining clash, and possibly a warning to Wright of what's to come after Christmas.

18:15 Krzysztof Ratajski v Ryan Joyce (R2)

19:15 Ian White v Kim Huybrechts (R2)

20:15 Gerwyn Price v Jamie Lewis (R2)

21:15 Gabriel Clemens v Nico Kurz (R2)