Peter Wright will take on James Wade or Raymond van Barneveld in the second round of the Interwetten Baltic Sea Darts Open, with the draw and schedule for the opening PDC European Tour event of 2023 now confirmed.
The Wunderino Arena in Kiel will play host to the inaugural Baltic Sea Darts Open from February 24-26, as 48 players battle it out for the £30,000 top prize and the first European Tour title of the year.
Luke Humphries – a winner of four European Tour titles in 2022 – will headline this weekend’s action, alongside second seed Michael van Gerwen and World Champion Michael Smith.
Friday’s first round will feature 16 matches across two sessions, including a blockbuster clash between ten-time TV title winner Wade and five-time World Champion Van Barneveld.
Steve Beaton and Adrian Lewis will lock horns in another fascinating tie, with Germany’s number one Gabriel Clemens up against a resurgent Daryl Gurney.
Elsewhere, Stephen Bunting will play 2019 World Cup of Darts runner-up William O’Connor, while Brendan Dolan faces former World Youth Champion Arron Monk.
The 16 seeded players enter the fray in Saturday’s second round, as Wright prepares to kick off his European Tour campaign against Wade or Van Barneveld.
Top seed Humphries will meet World Championship semi-finalist Clemens or two-time TV title winner Gurney, with O’Connor or Bunting awaiting Van Gerwen in round two.
Third seed Damon Heta faces the winner of the tie between Bradley Brooks and Josh Payne in round two, while two-time European Champion Rob Cross will take on either Ricky Evans or Martijn Dragt.
Premier League star Nathan Aspinall has been pitted against Beaton or Lewis, before World Champion Smith begins his campaign in Kiel against Jermaine Wattimena or Host Nation Qualifier Niko Springer.
Ryan Joyce and Graham Usher will battle it out for the right to play Gerwyn Price in round two, while Price’s World Cup partner Jonny Clayton faces Jeroen Mioch or Ted Evetts.
Following Saturday’s second round, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
Live coverage of all 2023 European Tour events will be streamed through Viaplay in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and all Nordic & Baltic countries, and through DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Coverage will also be shown on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers' worldwide.
2023 Interwetten Baltic Sea Darts Open
Wunderino Arena, Kiel, Germany
February 24-26
Tournament Draw Bracket - Second Round Onwards
(1) Luke Humphries v Gabriel Clemens/Daryl Gurney
(16) Dimitri Van den Bergh v Shaun Wilkinson/Ritchie Edhouse
(8) Michael Smith v Jermaine Wattimena/Niko Springer
(9) Dirk van Duijvenbode v Florian Hempel/Richard Veenstra
(4) Rob Cross v Ricky Evans/Martijn Dragt
(13) Ryan Searle v Niels Zonneveld/Mario Vandenbogaerde
(5) Peter Wright v James Wade/Raymond van Barneveld
(12) Danny Noppert v Filip Sebesta/Keegan Brown
(2) Michael van Gerwen v William O'Connor/Stephen Bunting
(15) Jonny Clayton v Jeroen Mioch/Ted Evetts
(7) Nathan Aspinall v Steve Beaton/Adrian Lewis
(10) Joe Cullen v Arron Monk/Brendan Dolan
(3) Damon Heta v Bradley Brooks/Josh Payne
(14) Martin Schindler v Ryan Meikle/Lukas Wenig
(6) Dave Chisnall v Lewy Williams/Dennis Nilsson
(11) Gerwyn Price v Ryan Joyce/Graham Usher
Schedule of Play
Friday February 24
First Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Ricky Evans v Martijn Dragt
Niels Zonneveld v Mario Vandenbogaerde
Lewy Williams v Dennis Nilsson
Filip Sebesta v Keegan Brown
Jeroen Mioch v Ted Evetts
Arron Monk v Brendan Dolan
Jermaine Wattimena v Niko Springer
Bradley Brooks v Josh Payne
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Shaun Wilkinson v Ritchie Edhouse
Ryan Joyce v Graham Usher
Ryan Meikle v Lukas Wenig
William O'Connor v Stephen Bunting
Florian Hempel v Richard Veenstra
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
Gabriel Clemens v Daryl Gurney
Steve Beaton v Adrian Lewis
Saturday February 25
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Ryan Searle v Zonneveld/Vandenbogaerde
Rob Cross v Evans/Dragt
Dave Chisnall v Williams/Nilsson
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Wilkinson/Edhouse
Joe Cullen v Monk/Dolan
Damon Heta v Brooks/Payne
Danny Noppert v Sebesta/Brown
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Hempel/Veenstra
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Nathan Aspinall v Beaton/Lewis
Jonny Clayton v Mioch/Evetts
Gerwyn Price v Joyce/Usher
Luke Humphries v Clemens/Gurney
Michael Smith v Wattimena/Springer
Peter Wright v Wade/Van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v O'Connor/Bunting
Martin Schindler v Meikle/Wenig
Sunday February 26
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Third Round
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order