PAUL NICHOLSON and Simon Whitlock are to play a head-to-head game in Australia this Friday.
The top two players in the DPA will clash at the Illawarra Yacht Club on Friday in a best of 25 leg exhibition.
The duo have never previously faced each other, with former Lakeside Championship runner-up Whitlock having joined the DPA circuit in May this year.
Nicholson has made a huge impact in the past 18 months, being the leading player in Australia last year before starring at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts and then reaching the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship quarter-finals.
Whitlock was a quarter-finalist in the Grand Slam of Darts last November, and has won a string of tournaments since moving onto the DPA circuit, overhauling Nicholson at the top of the rankings.
"I'm very much looking forward to the game with Simon, as it's two years in the making," said Nicholson.
"My respect for Simon as a player goes without question and there have been a lot of debates as to who is the better player.
"My view is that it is great to see two Aussies battling at the highest level and to have us come together for this match will be great for darts fans.
"I intend to give my all to win, and hopefully it will be a great spectacle."
The head-to-head will also feature an all-New Zealand contest between Warren French - twice a World Championship qualifier - and Preston Ridd in a "South Island Showdown".
The event is being staged as a warm-up to the next two DPA events, to be held in Illawarra this weekend and offering over $5,000 in prize money.
Saturday sees the Illawarra Yacht Club Classic played, with the 180Poker.com Open on Sunday.
Follow a Live Scoreboard from the Paul Nicholson v Simon Whitlock game by clicking here
Play is due to begin around 7.30pm local time (9.30am UK time) on Friday
See Simon Whitlock at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts in November!
Tickets for the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts are now on pre-sale to PDCtv Annual Subscribers - click here for full information