Draw released for 2021 UK Open: Van Barneveld set for big stage return against in-form Soutar

After the field was revealed for the 2021 UK Open at the conclusion of the Super Series, the draw has been made for the opening three rounds for the self styled FA Cup of Darts which will be played in Milton Keynes this weekend.

Raymond van Barneveld is the big story with his return to the UK Open set to be against the in-form Scot, Alan Soutar who made his ProTour debut with consistently brilliant results.

This has seen the fireman by trade like Van Barneveld straight through to the second round where they will likely face off on the main stage.

While another main tie sees Lisa Ashton draw Aaron Beeney in Round Two with the latter fresh off his victory over World Champion and World Number One, Gerwyn Price this past week.

Ashton will aim to become the first woman to win at the UK Open since Deta Hedman in 2005.

While the first round sees the likes off Danny Baggish make his debut against Brett Claydon, Gordon Mathers similarly against former World finalist Kirk Shepherd.

Other potential top ties include Keane Barry playing either Geert Nentjes or Richie Burnett from the first round.

While Wayne Jones, Steve Beaton and James Wade remain the only players ever presents in the tournaments with the former two entering in Round Two and Three respectively.

The likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright are all set for fourth round starts due to their rankings and will be part of the draw on Friday night.

Due to six players withdrawing as well, byes are available and like alluded to from the end of the third round, it will be the FA Cup style draw with the big seeds potentially playing each other.

2021 UK Open Draw

First Round

Robert Collins Bye

David Evans Bye

Andrew Gilding Bye

Michael Rasztovits Bye

Martin Thomas Bye

Scott Mitchell Bye

Rhys Griffin v Sean Fisher

Matt Jackson v Nathan Rafferty

Brett Claydon v Danny Baggish

Keelan Kay v Kevin McDine

Boris Koltsov v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Rowby-John Rodriguez v Brian Raman

Berry van Peer v Martin Schindler

Jitse Van der Wal v Florian Hempel

Geert De Vos v Niels Zonneveld

Martin Lukeman v Maikel Verberk

Scott Taylor v John Michael

Shane McGuirk v Jack Main

Jason Heaver v Lorenzo Pronk

Luc Peters v Lewis Williams

Jim McEwan v Sebastian Bialecki

Chas Barstow v Lukas Wenig

Joe Murnan v Matthew Dennant

Joe Davis v Kevin Doets

Adam Gawlas v Gino Vos

Geert Nentjes v Richie Burnett

John Brown v Gavin Carlin

Jake Jones v Dom Taylor

Zoran Lerchbacher v Jim Williams

Gordon Mathers v Kirk Shepherd

Peter Hudson v Ryan De Vreede

Ritchie Edhouse v Damian Mol

Second Round

Scott Waites v Steve Brown

S Taylor/Michael v Lukeman/Verberk

Nick Kenny v Ryan Meikle

Ciaran Teehan v Claydon/Baggish

Peters/L Williams v Scott Mitchell

Keane Barry v Nentjes/Burnett

Maik Kuivenhoven v Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez

Kay/McDine v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman

Murnan/Dennant v Kai Fan Leung

Andy Hamilton v Edhouse/Mol

Alan Soutar v Raymond van Barneveld

McGuirk/Main v Robert Collins

McEwan/Bialecki v Van der Wal/Hempel

Barstow/Wenig v Martin Thomas

Michael Rasztovits v Peter Jacques

William Borland v Davis/Doets

Aaron Beeney v Lisa Ashton

Martin Atkins v Bradley Brooks

Heaver/Pronk v Eddie Lovely

De Vos/Zonneveld v Derk Telnekes

Jon Worsley v Andrew Gilding

Martijn Kleermaker v Wayne Jones

Hudson/De Vreede v Jesus Noguera

Lerchbacher/J Williams v Mathers/Shepherd

J Brown/Carlin v Jackson/Rafferty

J Jones/D Taylor v Gary Blades

Steffen Siepmann v David Evans

Mike De Decker v Griffin/Fisher

Alan Tabern v Gawlas/Vos

Ryan Murray v Krzysztof Kciuk

Jeff Smith v Van Peer/Schindler

Harald Leitinger v Karel Sedlacek

Third Round

Beeney/Ashton v Darius Labanauskas

Barry/Nentjes/Burnett v Luke Woodhouse

Max Hopp v William O'Connor

Murnan/Dennant/Leung v Kenny/Meikle

Peters/L Williams/Mitchell v Worsley/Gilding

Leitinger/Sedlacek v De Decker/Griffin/Fisher

James Wilson v Keegan Brown

Steve West v Jason Lowe

Murray/Kciuk v Kim Huybrechts

Kuivenhoven/Koltsov/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Brendan Dolan

McGuirk/Main/Collins v Ryan Searle

Ryan Joyce v Cristo Reyes

Mark McGeeney v Steve Beaton

Heaver/Pronk/Lovely v Ron Meulenkamp

Lerchbacher/J Williams/Mathers/Shepherd v Madars Razma

Ted Evetts v Darren Webster

J Smith/Van Peer/Schindler v Kleermaker/W Jones

Justin Pipe v Luke Humphries

John Henderson v Matt Edgar

S Taylor/Michael/Lukeman/Verberk v Adam Hunt

Kay/McDine/Rowby-John Rodriguez/Raman v Josh Payne

Damon Heta v Siepmann/D Evans

Borland/Davis/Doets v Steve Lennon

McEwan/Bialecki/Van der Wal/Hempel v De Vos/Zonneveld/Telnekes

Hudson/De Vreede/Noguera v Tabern/Gawlas/Vos

J Brown/Carlin/Jackson/Rafferty v Barstow/Wenig/Thomas

Andy Boulton v Jelle Klaasen

Hamilton/Edhouse/Mol v J Jones/D Taylor/Blades

Ross Smith v Callan Rydz

Raztovits/Jacques v Teehan/Claydon/Baggish

Atkins/Brooks v Waites/S Brown

Soutar/Van Barneveld v Mickey Mansell

Top 32 to enter in fourth round (Numbers matched to their ranking will be used for the draw)

1 Gerwyn Price

2 Michael van Gerwen

3 Peter Wright

4 Rob Cross

5 James Wade

6 Gary Anderson

7 Dave Chisnall

8 Michael Smith

9 Dimitri Van den Bergh

10 Nathan Aspinall

11 Daryl Gurney

12 Ian White

13 Glen Durrant

14 Krzysztof Ratajski

15 Jose de Sousa

16 Joe Cullen

17 Stephen Bunting

18 Jonny Clayton

19 Simon Whitlock

20 Mensur Suljovic

21 Mervyn King

22 Danny Noppert

23 Jeffrey de Zwaan

24 Adrian Lewis

25 Chris Dobey

26 Vincent van der Voort

27 Jermaine Wattimena

28 Jamie Hughes

29 Gabriel Clemens

30 Dirk van Duijvenbode

31 Ricky Evans

32 Devon Petersen