THE draw for the opening night of the Speedy Services UK Open on Thursday June 7 has been made, with reigning champion James Wade facing one of any four qualifiers as he begins the defence of his title in the Second Round.
The £250,000 tournament, nicknamed 'The FA Cup of Darts' due to the open draw format which can see leading players drawn together at any stage, will feature a mixture of the top professionals alongside 64 Amateur Qualifiers from June 7-10 in Bolton.
The opening night sees the early rounds played, featuring the Speedy Qualifiers and Rileys Qualifiers playing alongside the professionals ranked from 33-114 in the UK Open Order of Merit following eight qualifying events.
PDC newcomer Ted Hankey will make his UK Open debut in the Preliminary Round against Leeds-based Speedy Qualifier Danny Dutson, with the winner then facing Rileys Qualifier Gus Santana or Andy Jenkins in the First Round - and the player who triumphs from that quartet will play Mervyn King in the Second Round!
Wade, who won the UK Open for a second time last year, enters in the Second Round and will play either Mark Lawrence, Jamie Robinson, Glen Durrant or the Rileys Bolton Qualifier.
Former World Champion Steve Beaton drew Speedy Qualifier Jon Jukes in the Preliminary Round, with Steve Brown facing Michael Barnard, Adrian Gray meeting Steve Evans, Irish ace Connie Finnan playing Scottish qualifier Andy Murray and former World Masters winner Tony West playing the Rileys Stevenage Qualifier.
High-profile First Round games include Paul Nicholson - who knocked out Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor in reaching last year's quarter-finals - playing the Rileys Basildon Qualifier or Andy Melling and 2003 UK Open finalist Shayne Burgess against Dave Ladley or Liam Kelly.
Mark Webster, a semi-finalist 12 months ago, plays Swindon's Johnny Haines in the Second Round, while South Africa's Devon Petersen takes on Andrew Gilding, who has impressed since winning a Tour Card this year.
Co Stompe will take on Alan Tabern, Spain's Antonio Alcinas drew Mark Hylton, James Richardson plays Jim Walker and Mareno Michels plays Shaun Griffiths, while Ronnie Baxter will play either Jon Bott, Josh Jones or Mark Spencer.
The remaining Rileys Qualifiers are being staged over the next two weekends in Rileys Darts Zones around the UK as players battle to win the final places reserved for amateur qualifiers in the event.
All games on the opening night will be the best of seven legs. The Third Round draw will be made at the conclusion of the Second Round on Thursday night.
The opening night features the professionals ranked from 33-114 in the UK Open Order of Merit following eight qualifying events along with the 64 Amateur Qualifiers, who have won through the Speedy Qualifiers and Rileys Qualifiers. The top 32 players enter at the Third Round stage on Friday June 8.
Tickets for the Speedy Services UK Open televised finals, from June 7-10 in the Premier Suite at De Vere Whites, Bolton, are still available by calling SeeTickets on 0844 871 8807 or by visiting www.seetickets.com.
Speedy Services UK Open
Premier Suite, De Vere Whites, Bolton - June 7-10
Thursday June 7 (7pm-11pm)
Preliminary Round - 50x Matches
Paul Amos v Gary Eldridge
Nigel Heydon v Paul Critchley
Ben Johnson v Stuart Daniels
Steve Farmer v Jamie Lewis
Joey Palfreyman v Tom Gregory
Jason Wilson v Bernd Roith
Kirk Gordon v Kevin McDine
David Pallett v Jerry Hendriks
Steve Brown v Michael Barnard
Harry Miles v Andy Melling
Steve Beaton v Jon Jukes
Steve Hine v Jamie Hughes
Josh Jones v Mark Spencer
Arron Monk v Paul Boulton
Gareth Cousins v Ben Burton
Geoff Heath v Darrin Pugh
Steve Maish v Dave Solly
Ted Hankey v Danny Dutson
Adam Smith-Neale v Rob Hawker
Gus Santana v Andy Jenkins
Andy Parsons v Dean Stewart
Steve Service v Damien Sherwood
Marc Dewsbury v Stephen Hardy
John Scott v Brian Woods
Denis Ovens v Craig McCaskill
John Nelson v Ross Smith
Glen Durrant v Stephen Bunting
Mark Lawrence v Jamie Robinson
Steve Werrett v Mark Barilli
David Dodds v Alan Casey
Anthony Littleton v Nicky Denoon
Adrian Gray v Steve Evans
Glen Miller v Mark Frost
Mark Layton v Michael Wiles
Gino Vos v Paul Harvey
Scott Robertson v Mick Todd
Lee Bryant v John Henderson
Sam Hill v Jamie Ellam
Tony Broughton v Tony Cooper
Scott Taylor v Lee Russell
Tony West v Michael Burgoine
Kevin Simm v Mick Hayward
Connie Finnan v Andy Murray
Stuart Anderson v Joe Murnan
Ian Gleeson v Kevin Rimmer
Terry Temple v Matt Clark
Andrew Cornwall v John Bowles
Dan Russell v Toon Greebe
Dyson Parody v Steve Mason
Dave Ladley v Liam Kelly
First Round - 32x Matches
Johnson/Daniels v Smith-Neale/Hawker
Heath/Pugh v Amos/Eldridge
Lawrence/Robinson v Durrant/Bunting
Andy Roberts v Cornwall/Bowles
Wilson/Roith v Wayne Jones
Nelson/R Smith v Ovens/McCaskill
Ladley/L Kelly v Shayne Burgess
Parsons/Stewart v Scott/Woods
Werrett/Barilli v Bob Crawley
Thomas Sanwell v Hine/Hughes
Vos/Harvey v Layton/Wiles
Paul Whitworth v Gray/Evans
Miller/Frost v Broughton/Cooper
John Farmer v Littleton/Denoon
Jason Crawley v Simm/Hayward
Cousins/Burton v West/Burgoine
Hankey/Dutson v Santana/Jenkins
Beaton/Jukes v Dodds/Casey
Anderson/Murnan v Russell/Greebe
Temple/Clark v Mark Kelly
Robertson/Todd v Hill/Ellam
Jon Bott v J Jones/Spencer
Bryant/Henderson v Palfreyman/Gregory
Dewsbury/Hardy v Ryan Murray
Monk/Boulton v Pallett/Hendriks
Finnan/A Murray v Service/Sherwood
Parody/Mason v Gleeson/Rimmer
Gordon/McDine v Brown/Barnard
Farmer/J Lewis v Mark Stephenson
Taylor/Russell v Heydon/Critchley
Maish/Solly v Adam Hunt
Paul Nicholson v Miles/Melling
Second Round - 32x Matches involving 32 First Round winners and players ranked 33-64 in UK Open Order of Merit.
Dewsbury/Hardy/R Murray v William O'Connor
Finnan/A Murray/Service/Sherwood v Scott Rand
Jelle Klaasen v Parody/Mason/Gleeson/Rimmer
Bryant/Henderson/Palfreyman/Gregory v Colin Osborne
Taylor/Russell/Heydon/Critchley v Roberts/Cornwall/Bowles
Andy Brown v Peter Wright
Parsons/Stewart/Scott/Woods v Johnson/Daniels/Smith-Neale/Hawker
Whitworth/Gray/Evans v Roland Scholten
Monk/Boulton/Pallett/Hendriks v Maish/Solly/Hunt
Mark Hylton v Antonio Alcinas
Nicholson/Miles/Melling v Miller/Frost/Broughton/Cooper
Devon Petersen v Andrew Gilding
Mark Webster v Johnny Haines
Sanwell/Hine/Hughes v Temple/Clark/M Kelly
J Crawley/Simm/Hayward v Mark Walsh
James Richardson v Jim Walker
Stuart White v Beaton/Jukes/Dodds/Casey
Ladley/L Kelly/Burgess v Stuart Kellett
Matthew Edgar v Gordon/McDine/Brown/Barnard
Peter Hudson v Farmer/J Lewis/Stephenson
Co Stompe v Alan Tabern
Mervyn King v Hankey/Dutson/Santana/A Jenkins
Wilson/Roith/W Jones v Heath/Pugh/Amos/Eldridge
Darren Johnson v Michael Mansell
Prakash Jiwa v Werrett/Barilli/B Crawley
Nelson/R Smith/Ovens/McCaskill v Anderson/Murnan/Russell/Greebe
Alex Roy v Cousin/Burton/T West/Burgoine
Keith Stephen v Robertson/Todd/Hill/Ellam
Mareno Michels v Shaun Griffiths
James Wade v Lawrence/Robinson/Durrant/Bunting
Bott/J Jones/Spencer v Ronnie Baxter
J Farmer/Littleton/Denoon v Vos/Harvey/Layton/Wiles
Friday June 8 (7pm-11pm)
Third Round - 32x Matches involving 32 Second Round winners and players ranked 1-32 in UK Open Order of Merit
Saturday June 9
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Fourth Round - 16x Matches
Evening Session (7.30pm-11pm)
Fifth Round - 8x Matches
Sunday June 10
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (7.30pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Final