2021 PDC World Darts Championship schedule: Wednesday December 16, evening session including Durrant, Hopp and Ashton

Wednesday, 16 December 2020 at 17:00

There'll be plenty more talking points on Wednesday night at the Alexandra Palace.

Normally the World Championship attracts a mass of German fans. They can't come this year (right now, nobody can), but they'll be cheering three of their own from afar. The first of them in action is Max Hopp, so often his nation's leading light and one of the most consistent throwers about.

The challenge for Hopp is to put together some consistency, starting here against Gordon Mathers. We haven't seen the Aussie at the Ally Pally since a narrow preliminary round defeat to Seigo Asada three years ago. His task now is to deny the Maximiser a second round berth against Mervyn King.

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Today has been the day if you're a fan of darts from the North-East. Callan Rydz rounds off a trio of Geordie competitors, and precedes Northumberland and Teeside's finest. Rydz is scarily talented, and has now got a year on the Tour on his CV alongside last year's World Championship showing. There's a twist for him this time, as he'll be the favourite against the second of four Australians involved, James Bailey.

Lisa Ashton will be well in the mix if she can match her first ever PDC World Championship set, two years ago against Jan Dekker. That'd require the sort of consistency that the Lancashire Rose hasn't yet shown, though she has repeatedly exhibited the sort of prolific scoring that can worry anyone. Ashton takes on Adam Hunt, who will want to make the same sort of mark as he did at the Grand Slam.

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What a game we have for the end of the day's play. A pioneering talent on an all-time high, a leading light currently flickering. Diogo Portela and Glen Durrant have a great relationship off the oche, but there'll be no love lost on it.

Everyone enjoyed Portela's special inaugural victory, even if it came at the equally loveable Steve Beaton's expense. The Brazilian has been down the roughest of mental roads, and while that journey might not be over, this is a massive step towards validating his belief that he can make it in darts.

Durrant can act as a shining example to Braziliant - he's established himself as one of the best in the PDC. After a major high of the Premier League triumph, his fortunes have rocketed downhill. Hopefully we'll see Duzza bounce back from his recent COVID-impacted struggles. If he can't, the pair could be said to be starting this game on an even keel, which heaps on the intrigue.