Schedule released for 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship: Defending champion Price to headline opening night

Gerwyn Price will begin the defence of his PDC World Darts Championship title on the opening night with the schedule released for the first and second round at the Alexandra Palace.

Returning between December 15-23, there will be nine days of action pre Christmas with Price set to start proceedings off facing the winner of Ritchie Edhouse or Lihao Wen which will be the first match of the session.

It will also see two-time World Champion, Adrian Lewis face Canadian ace, Matt Campbell, while Ricky Evans takes on Nitin Kumar.

The first double session is on Thursday December 16 with Gary Anderson facing the winner of Lewis or Campbell. Lisa Ashton takes on Ron Meulenkamp also.

While on Friday December 17, Peter Wright is in action against Ryan Meikle or Fabian Schmutzler, with the legendary Paul Lim is also in action.

Saturday December 18 is headlined by Michael van Gerwen who will face either Chas Barstow or John Norman Jnr.

One of the hotly anticipated stories of the tournament takes shape on Sunday December 19 as Fallon Sherrock returns to the site of her history making exploits two years ago against darting legend Steve Beaton.

Sunday's evening session sees the best player for many in darts this year in Jonny Clayton facing Keane Barry or Royden Lam, while a tough tie takes place as Florian Hempel faces Martin Schindler.

Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld faces off against Lourence Ilagan on Monday, December 20, with James Wade beginning his campaign.

Tuesday December 21 sees the first round conclude with Michael Smith and Dimitri van den Bergh are into the second round at this point.

Simon Whitlock, Nathan Aspinall, Luke Humphries, Rob Cross and Jose de Sousa are among those in action on the final two days before Christmas. Action returns on December 27-30 with the conclusion of proceedings between January 1-3.

Ritchie Edhouse v Lihao Wen (R1)

Ricky Evans v Nitin Kumar (R1)

Adrian Lewis v Matt Campbell (R1)

Gerwyn Price v Edhouse/Wen (R2)

Steve Lennon v Madars Razma (R1)

Scott Mitchell v Chris Landman (R1)

Chas Barstow v John Norman Jnr (R1)

Daryl Gurney v Evans/Kumar (R2)

William O’Connor v Danny Lauby (R1)

Ryan Meikle v Fabian Schmutzler (R1)

Ron Meulenkamp v Lisa Ashton (R1)

Gary Anderson v Lewis/Campbell (R2)

Ryan Joyce v Roman Benecky (R1)

Keane Barry v Royden Lam (R1)

Jermaine Wattimena v Boris Koltsov (R1)

Krzysztof Ratajski v Lennon/Razma (R2)

Joe Murnan v Paul Lim (R1)

William Borland v Bradley Brooks (R1)

Ross Smith v Jeff Smith (R1)

Peter Wright v Meikle/Schmutzler (R2)

Jamie Hughes v Raymond Smith (R1)

Callan Rydz v Yuki Yamada (R1)

Darius Labanauskas v Mike de Decker (R1)

Ian White v Mitchell/Landman (R2)

Adam Hunt v Boris Krcmar (R1)

Ted Evetts v Jim Williams (R1)

Rowby-John Rodriguez v Nick Kenny (R1)

Michael van Gerwen v Barstow/Norman Jnr (R2)

Maik Kuivenhoven v Ky Smith (R1)

Jason Heaver v Gordon Mathers (R1)

Alan Soutar v Diogo Portela (R1)

Stephen Bunting v Ross Smith/J Smith (R2)

Martijn Kleermaker v John Michael (R1)

Florian Hempel v Martin Schindler (R1)

Steve Beaton v Fallon Sherrock (R1)

Jonny Clayton v Barry/Lam (R2)

Luke Woodhouse v James Wilson (R1)

Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Ben Robb (R1)

Raymond van Barneveld v Lourence Ilagan (R1)

James Wade v Kuivenhoven/K Smith (R2)

2x First Round, 2x Second Round

Lewy Williams v Toyokazu Shibata (R1)

Jason Lowe v Daniel Larsson (R1)

Mervyn King v Joyce/Benecky (R2)

Dave Chisnall v Labanauskas/De Decker (R2)

Vincent van der Voort v Hunt/Krcmar (R2)

Michael Smith v Meulenkamp/Ashton (R2)

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Hempel/Schindler (R2)

Devon Petersen v Hughes/Raymond Smith (R2)

Ryan Searle v Borland/Brooks (R2)

Glen Durrant v O’Connor/Lauby (R2)

Luke Humphries v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Kenny (R2)

Joe Cullen v Evetts/J Williams (R2)

Nathan Aspinall v Murnan/Lim (R2)

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Wattimena/Koltsov (R2)

Kim Huybrechts v Beaton/Sherrock (R2)

Simon Whitlock v Kleermaker/Michael (R2)

Damon Heta v Woodhouse/Wilson (R2)

Brendan Dolan v Rydz/Yamada (R2)

Mensur Suljovic v Soutar/Portela (R2)

Jose de Sousa v Lowe/Larsson (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Danny Noppert v Heaver/Mathers (R2)

Gabriel Clemens v L Williams/Shibata (R2)

Rob Cross v Van Barneveld/Ilagan (R2)

Chris Dobey v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Robb (R2)

3x Third Round

3x Third Round

3x Third Round

3x Third Round

3x Third Round

1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

3x Fourth Round

3x Fourth Round

2x Quarter-Finals

2x Quarter-Finals

2x Semi-Finals

Final