Former European Tour event winners Justin Pipe and Mervyn King will clash on the opening day of the 2020 Belgian Darts Championship on Friday.
The 2020 European Tour will begin with the series’ first visit to Belgium, as Expo Hasselt hosts the £140,000 tournament from February 28-March 1.
Friday’s first round in the tournament – streamed to PDCTV Subscribers worldwide as well as through bookmakers’ websites – will feature five Belgian players amongst 32 competitors in action.
Two-time World Youth Champion Dimitri Van den Bergh will headline the Belgian challenge, taking on Dutch debutant Derk Telnekes in round one ahead of a possible clash with 2019 Czech Darts Open winner Jamie Hughes in the last 32.
Former European Tour winner Kim Huybrechts will be up against one Ryan Harrington, who one one of the two PDPA Associate Member Qualifiers on Thursday night, while three other places for Belgian players were won in the Host Nation Qualifier.
Pipe and King meet in a clash of two former winners on the European Tour circuit, while Steve Beaton – another former champion – takes on Hong Kong’s Kai Fan Leung.
Recent Players Championship winner Ryan Searle meets debutant Darren Penhall, while Australian ace Damon Heta, last year’s Brisbane Darts Masters, makes his first European Tour appearance against Michael Barnard.
Reigning World Youth Champion Luke Humphries, former BDO Champion Stephen Bunting and 2019 World Cup runner-up Steve Lennon are also in action in Friday’s first round, while Andy Hamilton makes his European Tour return after winning back his PDC Tour Card last month.
The 16 seeded stars, including World Champion Peter Wright and world number one Michael van Gerwen, enter the action in Saturday’s second round, with the tournament then concluding with the final stages on Sunday.
Tickets for the Belgian Darts Championship are available through PDC Europe and at Expo Hasselt.
The Belgian Darts Championship can be watched through PDCTV at video.pdc.tv as well as through a series of bookmakers’ websites worldwide.
2020 Belgian Darts Championship
Draw Bracket
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Mike De Decker/Ron Meulenkamp
Michel Smith (16) v Luke Humphries/Ronny Huybrechts
Glen Durrant (8) v Justin Pipe/Mervyn King
Joe Cullen (9) v Martijn Kleermaker/Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright (4) v Andy Boulton/Andy Hamilton
Jermaine Wattimena (13) v Danny Noppert/Geert De Vos
Krzysztof Ratajski (5) v Callan Rydz/Gabriel Clemens
Rob Cross (12) v Michael Barnard/Damon Heta
Ian White (2) v Dirk van Duijvenbode/Luke Woodhouse
Jeffrey de Zwaan (15) v Ryan Harrington/Kim Huybrechts
James Wade (7) v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Steve Lennon
Nathan Aspinall (10) v Kai Fan Leung/Steve Beaton
Gerwyn Price (3) v Wesley Plaisier/Benjamin Pratnemer
Jamie Hughes (14) v Dimitri Van den Bergh/Derk Telnekes
Mensur Suljovic (6) v Darren Penhall/Ryan Searle
Jonny Clayton (11) v Steve West/Jeffrey van Egdom
Schedule of Play
Friday February 28
First Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Darren Penhall v Ryan Searle
Andy Boulton v Andy Hamilton
Kai Fan Leung v Steve Beaton
Luke Humphries v Ronny Huybrechts
Michael Barnard v Damon Heta
Wesley Plaisier v Benjamin Pratnemer
Martijn Kleermaker v Stephen Bunting
Justin Pipe v Mervyn King
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Luke Woodhouse
Mike De Decker v Ron Meulenkamp
Callan Rydz v Gabriel Clemens
Danny Noppert v Geert De Vos
Ryan Harrington v Kim Huybrechts
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Steve Lennon
Steve West v Jeffrey van Egdom
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Derk Telnekes
Saturday February 29
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Michael Smith v Humphries/Huybrechts
Joe Cullen v Kleermaker/Bunting
Krzysztof Ratajski v Rydz/Clemens
Glen Durrant v Pipe/King
Rob Cross v Barnard/Heta
Ian White v Van Duijvenbode/Woodhouse
Jermaine Wattimena v Noppert/De Vos
James Wade v Rodriguez/Lennon
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Nathan Aspinall v Leung/Beaton
Gerwyn Price v Plaisier/Pratnemer
Peter Wright v Boulton/Hamilton
Michael van Gerwen v De Decker/Meulenkamp
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Harrington/Huybrechts
Jamie Hughes v Van den Bergh/Telnekes
Mensur Suljovic v Penhall/Searle
Jonny Clayton v West/Van Egdom
Sunday March 1
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)
Third Round
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
