Mathers replaces Rodriguez in William Hill World Darts Championship

Gordon Mathers (Lawrence Lustig, PDC)

Juan Francisco Rodriguez has been ruled out of the William Hill World Darts Championship, and will be replaced by Gordon Mathers.

Spain's Rodriguez had won the South-West Europe Qualifier in Avila to secure his big-stage debut, but has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the tournament.

As such, he has now withdrawn from the World Championship, and is replaced by Australia's Mathers, who was the next-ranked player on the reserve list.

The Brisbane ace will now play Jason Heaver in the first round on Sunday December 19, with the winner progressing to play Danny Noppert on Thursday December 23.

Mathers made his second World Championship appearance last year, and subsequently won a PDC Tour Card at the 2021 Qualifying School and has remained based in the UK throughout the year.

Tickets for some sessions remain available through SeeTicketsHospitality Packages are available through this link.

The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and RTL7, and on PDCTV (excluding UK and Netherlands based subscribers).

2021/22 William Hill World Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Wednesday December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ritchie Edhouse v Lihao Wen (R1)
Ricky Evans v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Adrian Lewis v Matt Campbell (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Edhouse/Wen (R2)

Thursday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

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)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

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)

Friday December 17
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Ryan Joyce v Roman Benecky (R1)
Keane Barry v Royden Lam (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Boris Koltsov (R1)
Krzysztof Ratajski v Lennon/Razma (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

Joe Murnan v Paul Lim (R1)
William Borland v Bradley Brooks (R1)
Ross Smith v Jeff Smith (R1)
Peter Wright v Meikle/Schmutzler (R2)

Saturday December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x First Round, 1x Second Round
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)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

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)

Sunday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round

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)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martijn Kleermaker v John Michael (R1)
Florian Hempel v Martin Schindler (R1)
Steve Beaton v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Jonny Clayton v Barry/Lam (R2)

Monday December 20 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
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)

Tuesday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

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)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round

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)

Wednesday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round

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)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round

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)

Thursday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round

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)
4x Second Round

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)

Monday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Tuesday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round

Wednesday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Thursday December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Fourth Round

Saturday January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1930 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals

Sunday January 2 (1930 GMT)
2x Semi-Finals

Monday January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final

* Mike De Decker replaced Charles Losper, who withdrew on December 6.
** Gordon Mathers replaced Juan Francisco Rodriguez, who withdrew on December 11. 
Schedule subject to change