THE European Darts Matchplay begins on Friday, with former European Tour event winners Justin Pipe and Vincent van der Voort set to clash in the first round.
The £135,000 tournament is the year's ninth European Tour event, as 48 players compete at the edel-optics.de Arena in Hamburg across the weekend.
Friday's first round will feature 32 qualifiers competing, with the field having been finalised following Thursday's South & West Europe Qualifier and Host Nation Qualifier.
Dutchman Van der Voort headlined the South & West Europe Qualifier, as he progressed to a first round tie against fellow former Austrian Darts Open winner Justin Pipe.
Scottish star Robert Thornton, a European Tour winner in Dusseldorf three years ago, takes on Host Nation Qualifier Rene Eidams.
2018 German Darts Open champion Max Hopp was another of the six Host Nation Qualifiers, as he set up a first round tie with Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Jelle Klaasen will take on Dragutin Horvat, while German World Cup star Martin Schindler comes up against Dutch qualifier Mario Robbe.
Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas meets Belgian youngster Mike De Decker, who sees fellow countryman Ronny Huybrechts now plays Luke Humphries.
Spain's Cristo Reyes will play Andy Boulton, Maik Langendorf comes up against Michael Barnard and Robert Marijanovic plays Jermaine Wattimena.
Chris Dobey opens up against Jamie Bain, while former World Youth Champion Keegan Brown plays Jason Lowe and 2018 Coral UK Open semi-finalist Rob Owen meets Russia's Boris Koltsov.
The seeded players, led by world number one Michael van Gerwen, World Champion Rob Cross and last week's Danish Darts Open winner Mensur Suljovic, enter at the second round stage on Saturday.
From the original field of entries, Peter Wright and Jim Brown have withdrawn, meaning that UK Qualifier James Wilson becomes a seed and that two additional places were available in the Host Nation Qualifier.
The European Darts Matchplay will take place from June 29-July 1, with streaming available for all PDCTV-HD Subscribers worldwide as well as through a series of bookmakers' websites.
2018 European Darts Matchplay
Draw Bracket
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Mark Wilson/Ryan Joyce
James Wilson (16) v Robert Thornton/Rene Eidams
Ian White (8) v Dirk van Duijvenbode/Max Hopp
Darren Webster (9) v Luke Humphries/Ronny Huybrechts
Joe Cullen (5) v Martin Schindler/Mario Robbe
Simon Whitlock (12) v Vincent van der Voort/Justin Pipe
Daryl Gurney (4) v Robert Marijanovic/Jermaine Wattimena
Stephen Bunting (13) v Mike De Decker/Darius Labanauskas
Michael Smith (2) v Jelle Klaasen/Dragutin Horvat
Steve Beaton (15) v Cristo Reyes/Andy Boulton
Jonny Clayton (7) v Jason Lowe/Keegan Brown
Gerwyn Price (10) v Maik Langendorf/Michael Barnard
Mensur Suljovic (6) v Robert Owen/Boris Koltsov
Mervyn King (11) v Darren Johnson/Paul Rowley
Rob Cross (3) v William O'Connor/Martin Atkins
Kim Huybrechts (14) v Jamie Bain/Chris Dobey
Schedule of Play
Friday June 29
First Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Robert Owen v Boris Koltsov
Jason Lowe v Keegan Brown
Darren Johnson v Paul Rowley
William O'Connor v Martin Atkins
Maik Langendorf v Michael Barnard
Vincent van der Voort v Justin Pipe
Martin Schindler v Mario Robbe
Robert Marijanovic v Jermaine Wattimena
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Jamie Bain v Chris Dobey
Robert Thornton v Rene Eidams
Mike De Decker v Darius Labanauskas
Jelle Klaasen v Dragutin Horvat
Mark Wilson v Ryan Joyce
Cristo Reyes v Andy Boulton
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Max Hopp
Luke Humphries v Ronny Huybrechts
Saturday June 30
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Simon Whitlock v Van der Voort/Pipe
Jonny Clayton v Lowe/Brown
Gerwyn Price v Langendorf/Barnard
Mervyn King v Johnson/Rowley
James Wilson v Thornton/Eidams
Joe Cullen v Schindler/Robbe
Kim Huybrechts v Bain/Dobey
Darren Webster v Humphries/R Huybrechts
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Steve Beaton v Reyes/Boulton
Ian White v Van Duijvenbode/Hopp
Mensur Suljovic v Owen/Koltsov
Michael van Gerwen v Wilson/Joyce
Daryl Gurney v Marijanovic/Wattimena
Rob Cross v O'Connor/Atkins
Stephen Bunting v De Decker/Labanauskas
Michael Smith v Klaasen/Horvat
Sunday July 1
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order