2021 PDC World Darts Championship schedule: Wednesday December 16, afternoon session

The PDC World Championship's fan-attended portion is at an end.

Unfortunately, it might be the case that the opening session will be the last with a crowd. Those in attendance at the Alexandra Palace saw the World Championship's attendance record holder bow out, alongside the youngest player involved. We also got to see Peter Wright dressed as the Grinch, which made up for a slow start quality-wise.

The first game of the Wednesday afternoon session could redress the dearth of high class darts. Ryan Joyce has made a name for himself this year, playing steady darts with a keen eye for doubles.

'Relentless' will be after a repeat of his excellent run two years ago, though Karel Sedlacek will have something to say about that. A fairly mediocre year on the Tour exploded into life with a run to the last 16 of the Players Championship finals, meaning the Czechia number one is in good form.

The second tie genuinely could go either way - there's a real chance it could be the tie of the first round. Ross Smith will occasionally produce the sort of darts that blows any opponent away, but you never know when it'll happen. David Evans is his opponent; he's here thanks to the Challenge Tour, but it's in the streamed events that Evans has really showcased his immense talent in 2020.

We haven't yet seen the best of William O'Connor - perhaps this year the Magpie will soar. He'll be motivated by memories of last year's exit to Gerwyn Price, which could've easily gone his way, and the vulnerability of potential second round opponent Daryl Gurney.

Niels Zonneveld may be a World Championship debutant, and a fairly fresh face in stage tournaments at that, but the rising Dutch star is ready to make an impact now. James Wade found out the hard way at the Players Championship Finals, and O'Connor will meet the same fate if he doesn't get going here.

Jeff Smith has got a first PDC World Championship win under his belt. It doesn't really matter how they come, though that being said, the Silencer will want to play a lot better than he did against Keane Barry. There's no doubt that there's more in the tank.

A lot of the pre-Championship previews have highlighted 22nd seed Chris Dobey as one of the big names most likely to be toppled early, as a result of what he himself admits has been a horrid year. However, he's also a top quality player who has reached the fourth round in each of the past two editions of this event. Rumours of his quick demise in this World Championship are most definitely pre-emptive.

12:10 Ryan Joyce v Karel Sedlacek (R1)

13:10 Ross Smith v David Evans (R1)

14:10 William O'Connor v Niels Zonneveld (R1)

15:10 Chris Dobey v Jeff Smith (R2)