THE stars of the PDC have set their sights on the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters ahead of their return to the Middle East.
Eight players, led by reigning Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters champion Michael van Gerwen, 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor and new Betway Premier League Darts champion Raymond van Barneveld, will contest the second staging of the World Series of Darts event at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on May 29 & 30.
The tournament also features UK Open champion Adrian Lewis, former European Champion Simon Whitlock, seven-time major winner James Wade and Premier League Darts stars Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall.
Van Barneveld travels to Dubai in confident mood following his brilliant success in last Thursday's Betway Premier League Darts Play-Offs in London, when he overcame Taylor in the semi-finals and van Gerwen in the final.
Wright, meanwhile, picked up his first tournament win for 11 months as he took victory in a Players Championship event in Crawley on Saturday.
Lewis had won his fourth major individual title earlier this year at the UK Open and finished his Premier League season with two wins recently, and is early awaiting his return to Dubai.
"The people were really friendly there last year and I enjoyed it," he said. "I lost to Barney last time but hopefully I can go all the way this year."
"I've got a tough summer ahead and I've been putting a lot of hard work in recently, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to Dubai."
The eight players will travel to Dubai on Monday night, with the draw for the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters to be made at the event's launch on Wednesday, with the top four players from the PDC Order of Merit in January - when the invitations were announced - seeded for Thursday's quarter-finals.
World Champion van Gerwen will defend his title as the number one seed, with Taylor seeded second, Whitlock third and Lewis the fourth seed, with Chisnall, Wright, Wade and van Barneveld to be drawn against them for the opening night.
Friday will see the tournament culminate with the semi-finals and final being held in one evening at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
The Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters will be shown live on Dubai Sports TV as well as through OSN across the Middle East, Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, Fox Sports in Australia and on Sky New Zealand, as well as online through www.LIVEPDC.TV.
Tickets and Corporate Hospitality tables for the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters can be purchase from Irish Village (+971 (0)4 239 5000) and Time Out Tickets (www.timeouttickets.com).
Coverage on each day will commence at 8pm local time (5pm BST).
Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters
Thursday May 29
8pm-11pm local time
5pm-8pm BST
Quarter-Finals x4
Best of 19 legs
Friday May 30
8pm-11pm local time
5pm-8pm BST
Semi-Finals & Final
Best of 21 legs
TV Coverage:
Sky Sports
Dubai Sports TV
OSN
Fox Sports Australia
Sky New Zealand