World Darts Championship: ‘Super Chin’ Gurney aiming to outgun Dutch opponent

Derry’s Daryl Gurney has been drawn against Dutch man Jermaine Wattimena in the first round of the William Hill World Professional Darts Championship which gets underway at Alexandra Palace in London this Thursday.

The tournament will be screened live on Sky’s Sports dedicated darts channel with 28-year-old “Super Chin” Gurney, ranked 24 in the world, taking on number 54 Wattimena (30), nicknamed the “Machine Gun,” on Sunday next, 18 December.

The Derry man will be looking to go further in the tournament this year having lost out in the last 32 last year to defending champion, Gary Anderson, who went on to retain his title.

A 72-player field will be in action across the Christmas and New Year period as players battle to win the Sid Waddell Trophy and a record £1.65 million prize fund.

The final will take place on 2 January.

The schedule of play is (P denotes preliminary round)

Preliminary & First Round

Thursday December 15 (7.00pm)

Jamie Caven (29) v Kevin Painter Jamie Lewis (30) v Mick McGowan Gary Anderson (2) v Mark Frost Michael Smith (11) v Ricky Evans

Friday December 16 (7.00pm)

Jerry Hendriks v Warren Parry (P) Gerwyn Price (19) v Jonny Clayton Steve Beaton (27) v Devon Petersen Peter Wright (3) v Hendriks/Parry

Saturday December 17

Afternoon Session (1.00pm) Tengku Shah v Masumi Chino (P) Terry Jenkins (18) v Josh Payne John Henderson (31) v Andrew Gilding Benito van de Pas (15) v Shah/Chino

Evening Session (7.00pm)

Ross Snook v Kim Viljanen (P) Cristo Reyes (32) v Dimitri Van den Bergh Stephen Bunting (16) v Darren Webster Michael van Gerwen (1) v Snook/Viljanen

Sunday December 18

Afternoon Session (1pm)

Kevin Simm v Gilbert Ulang (P) Justin Pipe (26) v Chris Dobey Mark Webster (25) v Joe Murnan Ian White (14) v Simm/Ulang

John Bowles v David Platt (P) DARYL GURNEY (24) v Jermaine Wattimena Alan Norris (21) v John Michael Phil Taylor (4) v Bowles/Platt

Monday December 19 (7.00pm)

Qiang Sun v Corey Cadby (P) Mervyn King (22) v Steve West Adrian Lewis (5) v Magnus Caris Joe Cullen (28) v Sun/Cadby

Tuesday December 20 (7.00pm)

Boris Koltsov v Dragutin Horvat (P) Brendan Dolan (23) v Christian Kist Raymond van Barneveld (12) v Robbie Green Simon Whitlock (17) v Koltsov/Horvat

Wednesday December 21 (7.00pm)

Zoran Lerchbacher v Simon Stevenson (P) Mensur Suljovic (8) v Ron Meulenkamp James Wade (6) v Ronny Huybrechts Robert Thornton (9) v Lerchbacher/Stevenson

Thursday December 22 (7.00pm)

Jelle Klaasen (10) v Jeffrey de Graaf Vincent van der Voort (20) v Max Hopp Dave Chisnall (7) v Rowby-John Rodriguez Kim Huybrechts (13) v James Wilson

Second Round

Friday December 23

Afternoon Session (1.00pm) White (14)/Simm/Ulang v Price (19)/Clayton Smith (11)/Evans v King (22)/West Van de Pas (15)/Shah/Chino v Jenkins (18)/Payne

Evening Session (7pm)

Bunting (16)/D Webster v Whitlock (17)/Koltsov/Horvat Anderson (2)/Frost v Henderson (31)/Gilding A Lewis (5)/Caris v Cullen (28)/Sun/Cadby

Tuesday December 27

Afternoon Session (1.00pm) Suljovic (8)/Meulenkamp v M Webster (25)/Murnan Thornton (9)/Lerchbacher/Stevenson v GURNEY (24)/Wattimena Chisnall (7)/Rodriguez v Pipe (26)/Dobey

Evening Session (8.00pm)

van Barneveld (12)/Green v Norris (21)/Michael Taylor (4)/Bowles/Platt v Caven (29)/Painter Van Gerwen (1)/Snook/Viljanen v Reyes (32)/Van den Bergh

Wednesday December 28

Afternoon Session (1.00pm) K Huybrechts (13)/Wilson v Van der Voort (20)/Hopp Wade (6)/R Huybrechts v Beaton (27)/Petersen Klaasen (10)/de Graaf v Dolan (23)/Kist

Wright (3)/Hendriks/Parry v J Lewis (30)/McGowan

Third Round

Anderson (2)/Frost/Henderson (31)/Gilding v Van de Pas (15)/Shah/Chino/Jenkins (18)/Payne A Lewis (5)/Caris/Cullen (28)/Sun/Cadby v Van Barneveld (12)/Green/Norris/Michael

Thursday December 29

Afternoon Session (1.00pm)

Suljovic (8)/Meulenkamp/M Webster/Murnan v Thornton (9)/Lerchbacher/Stevenson/GURNEY (24)/Wattimena Chisnall (7)/Rodriguez/Pipe (26)/Dobey v Klaasen (10)/de Graaf/Dolan (23)/Kist Wade (6)/R Huybrechts/Beaton/Petersen v Smith (11)/Evans/King (22)/West

Wright (3)/Hendriks/Parry/J Lewis (30)/McGowan v White(14)/Simm/Ulang//Price(19)/Clayton Taylor (4)/Bowles/Platt/Caven (29)/Painter v K Huybrechts (13)/Wilson/Van der Voort (20)/Hopp Van Gerwen (1)/Snook/Viljanen/Reyes (32)/Van den Bergh v Bunting (16)/D Webster/Whitlock (17)/Koltsov/Horvat

Friday December 30

2 x Quarter-Finals

2x Quarter-Finals

Sunday January 1 (7.00pm)

Semi-Finals

Monday January 2 (8.00pm)

Final