2020 UK Open Darts preview & schedule – Friday afternoon session

Three days of intense arrows are in store at Butlin's in Minehead. Most hectic of them all is the first session, where 160 entrants will be whittled down to just 64. The UK Open is renowned for its unpredictability - expect thrills aplenty, particularly as the first three rounds are played out in just one afternoon.

There are eight stages hosting the action, with ITV4 coverage focusing on Stage One. Opening the show is Lisa Ashton, appearing in her first UK Open, and her first major since becoming a PDC Tour Card holder. The Lancashire Rose faces Belgian prodigy Mike de Decker in round one.

Damon Heta versus Scott Waites is also on Stage One; the tie stands out as one of the best on paper of the opening session. Fallon Sherrock will command plenty of attention as she takes on Kyle McKinstry. Should she win, the Riley's qualifier will return to the same stage later in the afternoon to face Jason Heaver or Jesus Noguera.

The other second round ties on Stage One see former BDO heavyweights Scott Baker and Mark McGeeney meet, as well as Jeff Smith taking on Greek number one John Michael. Luke Humphries, fresh from his Premier League Darts heroics, faces the challenge of Kyle Anderson in the third round. The 25-year-old is back in Minehead for the first time since claiming the World Youth Championship title back in November. Former UK Open champion Robert Thornton will play against Kim Huybrechts on the main stage.

Keane Barry will make his debut on Stage Two, with the Irish star clashing with veteran Alan Tabern. There'll also be a chance to see if Ryan Searle can continue his excellent early 2020 form in a third round tie against Cristo Reyes. Stage Three will host Devon Petersen; the South African star could play Cameron Menzies, Bradley Brooks or Nick Kenny, all of whom would prove tough opposition.

Ryan Meikle, who dominated the first weekend of the 2020 Development Tour, is worth a watch on Stage Three as he faces Daniel Larsson.

Stages Four-Eight play host to a number of ties that haven't yet been decided. Among the ones that are known are a first-round duel between new Tour Card holders Aaron Beeney and Wesley Harms (Stage Six), up-and-coming stars Berry van Peer and Owen Roelofs clashing (Stage Seven) and another all-Dutch affair on Stage Eight, with Martijn Kleermaker facing Derk Telnekes.

Robert Owen, a semi-finalist in Minehead just two years ago, travels to the UK Open as an amateur qualifier this time around. He takes on fellow Riley's graduate and Welshman Lewy Williams in the first round on Stage Six.

The world’s top 32 – including Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson – come into the event in Friday evening’s fourth round.

Click here for more information about this event, including the prize money breakdown and the tournament schedule.

Mike De Decker v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Damon Heta v Scott Waites (R1)
Kyle McKinstry v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Scott Baker v Mark McGeeney (R2)
Jeff Smith v John Michael (R2)
David Pallett v Doets/Thompson (R2)
Heaver/Noguera v McKinstry/Sherrock (R2)
Luke Humphries v Kyle Anderson (R3)
Kim Huybrechts v Robert Thornton (R3)
Josh Payne v Luke Woodhouse (R3)

Cody Harris v Scott Taylor (R1)
Kai Fan Leung v Kelvin Self (R1)
Adam Hunt v Karel Sedlacek (R1)
Keane Barry v Alan Tabern (R1)
Andy Hamilton v Patrick Lynskey (R1)
Marko Kantele v Dirk van Duijvenbode (R2)
Heta/Waites v Geert Nentjes (R2)
Larsson/Meikle v De Decker/Ashton (R2)
Menzies/Brooks v Nick Kenny (R2)
Ryan Searle v Cristo Reyes (R3)
William O’Connor v Jan Dekker (R3)
Vincent van der Voort v Smith/Michael (R3)
Koltsov/Van Trijp/Davidson/Borland v Larsson/Meikle/De Decker/Ashton (R3)

Steffen Siepmann v Krzysztof Kciuk (R1)
Peter Jacques v Ciaran Teehan (R1)
Michael Barnard v Steve Brown (R1)
Daniel Larsson v Ryan Meikle (R1)
Harry Ward v Gavin Carlin (R2)
Kirk Shepherd v Leung/Self (R2)
Hunt/Sedlacek v Barrie Bates (R2)
Hayden/J Clark v Richardson/Penhall (R2)
Ron Meulenkamp v Richard North (R3)
Jones/Blades/Whitehead v Steve West (R3)
Devon Petersen v Menzies/Brooks/Kenny (R3)
Justin Smith/Jenkins/Beeney/Harms v Atkins/Murray/Bunse (R3)
Huckvale/Burton/Van der Meer v Heaver/Noguera/McKinstry/Sherrock (R3)

Jason Askew v Greg Ritchie (R1)
Jason Heaver v Jesus Noguera (R1)
Adam Smith-Neale v Ben Cheeseman (R1)
Darren Beveridge v Nathan Rafferty (R1)
Andy Boulton v Reece Robinson (R2)
Nathan Derry v Maik Kuivenhoven (R2)
Justin Smith/Jenkins v Beeney/Harms (R2)
Telnekes/Kleermaker v Madars Razma (R2)
Jamie Lewis v Ross Smith (R3)
Evetts/Van Peer/Roelofs v James Wilson (R3)
Steve Lennon v Barnard/Brown/Barry/Tabern (R3)
Mickey Mansell v Zonneveld/Hamilton/Lynskey (R3)

Adam Huckvale v Stephen Burton (R1)
Rhys Hayden v James Clark (R1)
Cameron Menzies v Bradley Brooks (R1)
Kevin Burness v Harald Leitinger (R1)
Jonathan Worsley v Matt Clark (R2)
Carl Wilkinson v Siepmann/Kciuk (R2)
Ted Evetts v Van Peer/Roelofs (R2)
Barnard/Brown v Barry/Tabern (R2)
Justin Pipe v Shepherd/Leung/Self (R3)
Ryan Joyce v Jacques/Teehan/Meeuwisse (R3)
Jose De Sousa v Williams/Owen/Gray (R3)
Van Duivenbode/Beveridge/Rafferty v Jamie Hughes (R3)

Aaron Beeney v Wesley Harms (R1)
Boris Koltsov v Danny van Trijp (R1)
Andrew Davidson v William Borland (R1)
Lewis Williams v Robert Owen (R1)
Harris/Taylor v Jason Lowe (R2)
Atkins/Murray v Christian Bunse (R2)
Mike van Duivenbode v Beveridge/Rafferty (R2)
Niels Zonneveld v Hamilton/Lynskey (R2)
Derry/Kuivenhoven v Gabriel Clemens (R3)
Darius Labanauskas v Kantele/Van Duijvenbode (R3)
Hayden/J Clark/Richardson/Penhall v Toni Alcinas (R3)
Matthew Edgar v Smith-Neale/Cheeseman/McGuirk/Rydz (R3)

Martin Atkins v Ryan Murray (R1)
Shane McGuirk v Callan Rydz (R1)
Wayne Jones v Gary Blades (R1)
Berry van Peer v Owen Roelofs (R1)
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Askew/Ritchie (R2)
Jacques/Teehan v Yordi Meeuwisse (R2)
Williams/Owen v Adrian Gray (R2)
Burness/Leitinger v Joe Murnan (R2)
Martin Schindler v Benito van de Pas (R3)
Baker/McGeeney v Boulton/Robinson (R3)
Worsley/M Clark v Harris/Taylor/Lowe (R3)
Telnekes/Kleermaker/Razma v Heta/Waites/Nentjes (R3)

Justin Smith v Andy Jenkins (R1)
Derk Telnekes v Martijn Kleermaker (R1)
James Richardson v Darren Penhall (R1)
Kevin Doets v Alfie Thompson (R1)
Huckvale/Burton v Vincent van der Meer (R2)
Jones/Blades v Conan Whitehead (R2)
Koltsov/Van Trijp v Davidson/Borland (R2)
Smith-Neale/Cheeseman v McGuirk/Rydz (R2)
Jelle Klaasen v Rodriguez/Askew/Ritchie (R3)
Ward/Carlin v Wilkinson/Siepmann/Kciuk (R3)
Pallett/Doets/Thompson v Simon Stevenson (R3)
Hunt/Sedlacek/Bates v Burness/Leitinger/Murnan (R3)