THE schedule of play for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship has been confirmed.
The tournament will begin on Thursday December 16, with reigning champion Phil Taylor in action on the opening night alongside former Lakeside Champions Steve Beaton and Mark Webster.
The event opens with the clash between Paul Nicholson - January's Players Championship Finals winner and a quarter-finalist two years ago at Alexandra Palace - up against debutant Steve Farmer, who won a Players Championship in September to ensure his World Championship debut.
Friday's second night of action includes number five seed Adrian Lewis up against Tony Eccles, former semi-finalist Colin LLoyd against Andree Welge, Co Stompe, Ronnie Baxter and Roland Scholten - who could compete twice should he win his preliminary round clash with Finland's Veijo Viinikka.
2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock plays Steve Evans on the third night of the event on Saturday December 18, with Andy Hamilton and Gary Anderson also in action, while 2005 finalist Mark Dudbridge plays PDPA Qualifier Alex Roy.
Three-time World Champion John Part will enter the fray on Sunday December 19, while Wayne Jones, Robert Thornton and Wes Newton are the other seeded players in action on the fourth night of play.
Monday's play will feature world number two James Wade up against Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas, while Kevin Painter - the 2004 runner-up - takes on Brendan Dolan and Alan Tabern plays resurgent Richie Burnett.
Dutch trio Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort all play on Tuesday evening, alongside number seven seed Terry Jenkins, who plays newcomer Joe Cullen.
2007 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion Raymond van Barneveld begins his challenge for a sixth World Championship on Wednesday against Steve Hine, with Barrie Bates playing Kevin McDine and Derby duo Jamie Caven and Colin Osborne also in action.
The final night of first round action on Thursday December 23 will include two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley up against Germany's Bernd Roith, 2009 semi-finalist Mervyn King, Mark Walsh up against Justin Pipe and Andy Smith playing Australia's Shane Tichowitsch.
The tournament will break for Christmas from December 24-26 before returning for the second round on Monday December 27.
The second round will be played on December 27, 28 and 29, with the third round beginning in the evening of December 29 and continuing with six games on December 30.
Following a break for New Year's Eve, the tournament wll resume with the quarter-finals on New Year's Day, with the semi-finals being played on January 2 and the final on Monday January 3.
Tickets for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship are still available from www.seetickets.com/darts or via 0871 220 0260.
Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
First Round Schedule of Play
Thursday December 16
7.10pm Paul Nicholson v Steve Farmer
8.15pm Gary Mawson v Juanito Gionson (P)
8.45pm Steve Beaton v Mark Hylton
9.50pm Mark Webster v Steve Maish
10.55pm Phil Taylor v Mawson/Gionson
Friday December 17
7.10pm Co Stompe v Peter Wright
8.15pm Roland Scholten v Veijo Viinikka (P)
8.45pm Colin Lloyd v Andree Welge
9.50pm Adrian Lewis v Tony Eccles
10.55pm Ronnie Baxter v Scholten/Viinikka
Saturday December 18
7.40pm Andy Hamilton v Dennis Smith
8.45pm Matt Padgett v Morihiro Hashimoto (P)
9.15pm Mark Dudbridge v Alex Roy
10.20pm Simon Whitlock v Steve Evans
11.25pm Gary Anderson v Padgett/Hashimoto
Sunday December 19
7.10pm Wayne Jones v Kirk Shepherd
8.15pm Per Laursen v Boris Krcmar (P)
8.45pm Robert Thornton v Nigel Heydon
9.50pm Wes Newton v Darin Young
10.55pm John Part v Laursen/Krcmar
Monday December 20
7.10pm Alan Tabern v Richie Burnett
8.15pm Jyhan Artut v Scott Mackenzie (P)
8.45pm Kevin Painter v Brendan Dolan
9.50pm James Wade v Antonio Alcinas
10.55pm Denis Ovens v Artut/Mackenzie
Tuesday December 21
7.10pm Michael van Gerwen v Mensur Suljovic
8.15pm Michael Mansell v Preston Ridd (P)
8.45pm Terry Jenkins v Joe Cullen
9.50pm Jelle Klaasen v Steve Brown
10.55pm Vincent van der Voort v Mansell/Ridd
Wednesday December 22
7.10pm Colin Osborne v Chris Thompson
8.15pm Devon Petersen v Norman Madhoo (P)
8.45pm Barrie Bates v Kevin McDine
9.50pm Raymond van Barneveld v Steve Hine
10.55pm Jamie Caven v Petersen/Madhoo
Thursday December 23
7.10pm Andy Smith v Shane Tichowitsch
8.15pm Magnus Caris v Dietmar Burger (P)
8.45pm Mark Walsh v Justin Pipe
9.50pm Dennis Priestley v Bernd Roith
10.55pm Mervyn King v Caris/Burger
Second Round
Monday December 27
1.10pm Baxter/Scholten/Viinikka v Webster/Maish
2.55pm Nicholson/Farmer v Stompe/Wright
3.45pm Hamilton/Smith v Thornton/Heydon
7.10pm Lloyd/Welge v Beaton/Hylton
8.25pm Lewis/Eccles v Dudbridge/Roy
9.45pm Taylor/Mawson/Gionson v Part/Laursen/Krcmar
Tuesday December 28
1.10pm Walsh/Pipe v Tabern/Burnett
2.25pm Jones/Shepherd v van der Voort/Mansell/Ridd
3.45pm Jenkins/Cullen v Klaasen/Brown
7.10pm Newton/Young v Painter/Dolan
8.25pm Whitlock/Evans v Ovens/Artut/Mackenzie
9.45pm Wade/Alcinas v van Gerwen/Suljovic
Wednesday December 29
1.10pm Osborne/Thompson v Caven/Petersen/Madhoo
2.25pm Anderson/Padgett/Hashimoto v Priestley/Roith
3.45pm King/Caris/Burger v Smith/Tichowitsch
7.10pm van Barneveld/Hine v Bates/McDine
Third Round
8.25pm Baxter/Scholten/Viinikka/Webster/Maish v Lloyd/Welge/Beaton/Hylton
9.45pm Taylor/Mawson/Gionson/Part/Laursen/Krcmar v Nicholson/Farmer/Stompe/Wright
Thursday December 30
1.10pm Lewis/Eccles/Dudbridge/Roy v Hamilton/Smith/Thornton/Heydon
2.25pm King/Caris/Burger/Smith/Tichowitsch v Anderson/Padgett/Hashimoto/Priestley/Roith
3.45pm Jenkins/Cullen/Klaasen/Brown v Walsh/Pipe/Tabern/Burnett
7.10pm Whitlock/Evans/Ovens/Artut/Mackenzie v Jones/Shepherd/van der Voort/Mansell/Ridd
8.25pm van Barneveld/Hine/Bates/McDine v Osborne/Thompson/Caven/Petersen/Madhoo
9.45pm Wade/Alcinas/van Gerwen/Suljovic v Newton/Young/Painter/Dolan
Saturday January 1 2011
Quarter-Finals - Order of Play TBC
2.10pm
3.30pm
7.40pm
9.00pm
Sunday January 2
Semi-Finals - Order of Play TBC
7.40pm
9.30pm
Monday January 3
PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship Final
7.10pm Michael van Gerwen v Arron Monk
Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship Final
8.00pm
Schedule of play subject to change at the discretion of the PDC and Sky Sports. Any changes would be notified as soon as possible at www.pdc.tv
Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship Format
Preliminary Round - Best of seven legs (no tie-break)
First Round - Best of five sets
Second Round - Best of seven sets
Third Round - Best of seven sets
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine sets
Semi-Finals - Best of 11 sets
Final - Best of 13 sets
All sets are the best of five legs.
All matches using the sets format will have a tie-break situation in the deciding set only, where the final set must be won by two clear legs until the score in that final set reaches 5-5.
Should that situation occur, then a sudden-death leg will be played in which the players will throw for the bull to determine who throws first in the sudden-death leg.
Tickets for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship are available through www.seetickets.com/darts or via 0871 220 0260 (calls cost 10p per minute from a BT landline)
Overseas Bookings
Fans booking tickets from outside the UK can call 0044 115 912 9000.
Ticket Limits
Tickets for table seats will be limited to six per person per session.
Group Bookings
Group Bookings will be able to be made for tiered seating for all sessions apart from the semi-finals and final. The Group Booking number is 0844 412 4650 (calls to this number cost 5p per minute from a BT landline).
Family Enclosure/Disabled Spectators
Tickets for a dedicated Family Enclosure will be available. Any customers bringing children under the age of 16 are strongly recommended to use this section and to specify this when ordering tickets.
An area is also reserved for disabled spectators - please also specify your requirements when booking.
Hospitality Packages
Hospitality packages are now only available for January 1 - click here for information
Click here for full Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship ticket information & Terms and Conditions