THE schedule of play for the Unibet European Championship has been confirmed ahead of the £400,000 tournament in Hasselt, Belgium from October 28-30.
The ITV4-televised event sees 32 players competing across three days at the Ethias Arena, with Michael van Gerwen defending the title which he has won for the past two years.
The Dutchman's rivals are comprised of his rivals in the top 32 of the 2016 European Tour Order of Merit, based on prize money won in this year's ten European Tour events held in Germany, the Netherlands, Gibraltar and Austria.
The opening day of the European Championship will see the first round take place across two sessions, with the matches involving the eight seeded players being held in the evening.
Top seed van Gerwen takes on 2012 champion Simon Whitlock in a clash between two former winners of the event, while four-time victor Phil Taylor comes up against number seven seed Alan Norris.
Belgium's Kim Huybrechts - the only home player in the event - comes up against James Wilson after the evening session opens with Dutch ace Jelle Klaasen faces Steve West.
The afternoon session begins with the meeting between Jamie Caven and James Richardson, while former finalist Terry Jenkins plays Ian White, former World Grand Prix winner Robert Thornton meets Spain's Cristo Reyes and former Premier League aces Michael Smith and Stephen Bunting also clash.
Saturday sees the second round split across two sessions in Hasselt, before the event concludes on Sunday with the quarter-finals in the afternoon session and the semi-finals and final in the evening session.
Tickets for the Unibet European Championship are still available from www.pdc-europe.tv.
Session Schedule
Friday October 28
Afternoon Session (1.45pm-6pm local time, 12.45pm-5pm UK time)
First Round x8
Jamie Caven v James Richardson
Daryl Gurney v Gerwyn Price
Chris Dobey v Joe Cullen
Ian White v Terry Jenkins
Cristo Reyes v Robert Thornton
Mervyn King v Devon Petersen
Michael Smith v Stephen Bunting
Max Hopp v Benito van de Pas
Evening Session (8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm UK time)
First Round x8
Jelle Klaasen (8) v Steve West
Kim Huybrechts (5) v James Wilson
Dave Chisnall (6) v Kyle Anderson
Mensur Suljovic (2) v Jermaine Wattimena
Peter Wright (3) v Justin Pipe
Alan Norris (7) v Phil Taylor
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Simon Whitlock
James Wade (4) v Gary Anderson
Saturday October 29
Afternoon Session (1.45pm-6pm local time, 12.45pm-5pm UK time)
Second Round x4
Chisnall/K Anderson v Caven/Richardson
Suljovic/Wattimena v White/Jenkins
Wright/Pipe v Reyes/Thornton
Huybrechts/Wilson v King/Petersen
Evening Session (8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm UK time)
Second Round x4
Klaasen/West v Smith/Bunting
Norris/Taylor v Dobey/Cullen
Wade/G Anderson v Hopp/van de Pas
van Gerwen/Whitlock v Gurney/Price
Sunday October 30
Afternoon Session (1.45pm-6pm local time, 12.45pm-5pm UK time)
Quarter-Finals
Order of Play TBC
Evening Session (8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm UK time)
Semi-Finals
Final
Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs
There will be no tie-break in any round.