Schedule confirmed for 2022/23 PDC World Darts Championship as defending champion Wright to begin campaign on opening night

The schedule has been confirmed for the 2022/23 PDC World Darts Championship with Peter Wright set to begin his campaign to defend his World title on the opening night against Mickey Mansell or Ben Robb.

As ever, the tradition sees the first round game start proceedings which is followed by Keane Barry - Grant Sampson and Jermaine Wattimena - Nathan Rafferty with the afternoon session on the Friday seeing Adrian Lewis, Alan Soutar and Kim Huybrechts facing the Barry - Sampson winner.

Michael Smith and Beau Greaves headline Friday night with the latter facing William O'Connor and the Grand Slam champion facing the Wattimena - Rafferty winner.

Saturday sees Dimitri van den Bergh, Josh Rock, Simon Whitlock, Daryl Gurney and Lisa Ashton feature, while Sunday will see Nathan Aspinall kick start his campaign.

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World Number One, Gerwyn Price is involved on Monday facing Luke Woodhouse or Vladyslav Omelchenko, with Steve Beaton also set for his 32nd World Championship appearance.

Five-time World Champion, Raymond van Barneveld will aim to roll back the years again at the Ally Pally when he faces Ashton or Ryan Meikle. Fallon Sherrock will also be involved aiming to set up a tie with Joe Cullen after her late invite to the tournament which garnered worldwide acclaim for the Queen of the Palace.

This before a run up to Christmas featuring Michael van Gerwen on Wednesday December 21`, as well as Gary Anderson, James Wade and Luke Humphries in Thursday's double session.

More big names are involved on the final day with former World Champion, Rob Cross, Jonny Clayton and Joe Cullen all set to be involved.

2022/23 PDC World Darts Championship

Schedule of Play

Thursday December 15 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Mickey Mansell v Ben Robb (R1)

Keane Barry v Grant Sampson (R1)

Jermaine Wattimena v Nathan Rafferty (R1)

Peter Wright v Mansell/Robb (R2)

Friday December 16

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Alan Soutar v Mal Cuming (R1)

Boris Krcmar v Toru Suzuki (R1)

Adrian Lewis v Daniel Larsson (R1)

Kim Huybrechts v Barry/Sampson (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Rowby-John Rodriguez v Lourence Ilagan (R1)

William O‘Connor v Beau Greaves (R1)

Keegan Brown v Florian Hempel (R1)

Michael Smith v Wattimena/Rafferty (R2)

Saturday December 17

Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Martin Lukeman v Nobuhiro Yamamoto (R1)

Simon Whitlock v Christian Perez (R1)

Adam Gawlas v Richie Burnett (R1)

Daryl Gurney v Soutar/Cuming (R2)

Evening Session (2000 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ryan Meikle v Lisa Ashton (R1)

Cameron Menzies v Diogo Portela (R1)

Josh Rock v Jose Justicia (R1)

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Rodriguez/Ilagan (R2)

Sunday December 18

Afternoon Session (1100 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Madars Razma v Prakash Jiwa (R1)

Karel Sedlacek v Raymond Smith (R1)

Luke Woodhouse v Vladyslav Omelchenko (R1)

Damon Heta v Lewis/Larsson (R2)

Evening Session (2000 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Mike De Decker v Jeff Smith (R1)

Scott Williams v Ryan Joyce (R1)

Matt Campbell v Danny Baggish (R1)

Nathan Aspinall v Krcmar/Suzuki (R2)

Monday December 19

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Andrew Gilding v Robert Owen (R1)

Danny Jansen v Paolo Nebrida (R1)

Niels Zonneveld v Lewy Williams (R1)

Jose de Sousa v Whitlock/Perez (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Geert Nentjes v Leonard Gates (R1)

Ritchie Edhouse v David Cameron (R1)

Steve Beaton v Danny van Trijp (R1)

Gerwyn Price v Woodhouse/Omelchenko (R2)

Tuesday December 20 (1900 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Jim Williams v Sebastian Bialecki (R1)

Jamie Hughes v Jimmy Hendriks (R1)

Ricky Evans v Fallon Sherrock (R1)

Raymond van Barneveld v Meikle/Ashton (R2)

Wednesday December 21

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x First Round, 2x Second Round

John O’Shea v Darius Labanauskas (R1)

Martijn Kleermaker v Xicheng Han (R1)

Callan Rydz v Rock/Justicia (R2)

Dave Chisnall v Gilding/Owen (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Mervyn King v Campbell/Baggish (R2)

Gabriel Clemens v O‘Connor/Greaves (R2)

Michael van Gerwen v Zonneveld/L Williams (R2)

Stephen Bunting v Nentjes/Gates (R2)

Thursday December 22

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Krzysztof Ratajski v Jansen/Nebrida (R2)

Ryan Searle v Gawlas/Burnett (R2)

Mensur Suljovic v De Decker/J Smith (R2)

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Sedlacek/R Smith (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Gary Anderson v Razma/Jiwa (R2)

James Wade v J Williams/Bialecki (R2)

Luke Humphries v Brown/Hempel (R2)

Vincent van der Voort v Menzies/Portela (R2)

Friday December 23

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

4x Second Round

Brendan Dolan v Hughes/Hendriks (R2)

Chris Dobey v Kleermaker/Han (R2)

Ross Smith v O’Shea/Labanauskas (R2)

Rob Cross v S Williams/Joyce (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Martin Schindler v Lukeman/Yamamoto (R2)

Danny Noppert v Edhouse/Cameron (R2)

Jonny Clayton v Beaton/Van Trijp (R2)

Joe Cullen v Evans/Sherrock (R2)

Tuesday December 27

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Wednesday December 28

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Third Round

Thursday December 29

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Friday December 30

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Fourth Round

Sunday January 1

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Monday January 2 (1930 GMT)

2x Semi-Finals

Tuesday January 3 (2000 GMT)

Final