Teenage sensation Luke Littler looks poised to renew his rivalry with world champion Luke Humphries in Germany this weekend.
Humphries could play 17-year-old Littler in a repeat of January’s World Championship final, with ‘Cool Hand’ aiming to repeat his 2022 triumph in Sindelfingen.
Rob Cross will begin his defence of the European Darts Grand Prix against Martin Schindler or Gian van Veen.
The Glaspalast will play host to the year’s fourth PDC European Tour event from April 19-21, with the draw and schedule now confirmed for the £175,000 tournament.
This weekend’s action will see reigning champion Cross competing alongside world No 1 Humphries, Dutch superstar Michael van Gerwen and the returning Littler, who won the year’s first European Tour title on debut in Wieze last month.
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Littler sunk this maximum with a flourish in Birmingham
Peter Wright – also a three-time runner-up in Sindelfingen – opens his challenge against Mickey Mansell, while Joe Cullen meets Swedish qualifier Johan Engstrom.
Former European Darts Grand Prix winners Jose de Sousa and Ian White face Daryl Gurney and Chris Dobey respectively, with Masters champion Stephen Bunting drawn against Croatia’s Romeo Grbavac.
Last year’s UK Open champion Andrew Gilding goes head to head with Brendan Dolan in another intriguing tie, while Ritchie Edhouse will aim to build upon his run to the quarter-finals in Riesa when he meets 2018 runner-up James Wade.
Following Saturday’s second round, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session.
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Wayne Mardle discusses just how talented Littler is and compares the teenager to Michael van Gerwen and Eric Bristow
Schedule of Play
Friday April 19
First Round
Afternoon Session (12pm BST)
Callan Rydz vs Jeffrey Sparidaans
Stephen Burton vs Keane Barry
Scott Williams vs Niko Springer
Andrew Gilding vs Brendan Dolan
Luke Woodhouse vs Martin Lukeman
Johan Engstrom vs Joe Cullen
Niels Zonneveld vs Christian Perez
Jose de Sousa vs Daryl Gurney
Evening Session (6pm BST)
Ritchie Edhouse vs James Wade
Stephen Bunting vs Romeo Grbavac
Franz Roetzsch vs Raymond van Barneveld
Chris Dobey vs Ian White
Arno Merk vs Luke Littler
Martin Schindler vs Gian van Veen
Peter Wright vs Mickey Mansell
Gabriel Clemens vs Rene Eidams
Saturday April 20
Second Round
Afternoon Session (12pm BST)
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Williams/Springer
Ross Smith vs Woodhouse/Lukeman
Ryan Searle vs Bunting/Grbavac
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Edhouse/Wade
Danny Noppert vs De Sousa/Gurney
Jonny Clayton vs Dobey/White
Dave Chisnall vs Burton/Barry
Josh Rock vs Rydz/Sparidaans
Evening Session (6pm BST)
Gary Anderson vs Zonneveld/Perez
Gerwyn Price vs Gilding/Dolan
Michael Smith vs Roetzsch/Van Barneveld
Damon Heta vs Wright/Mansell
Rob Cross vs Schindler/Van Veen
Michael van Gerwen vs Engstrom/Cullen
Luke Humphries vs Merk/Littler
Ricardo Pietreczko vs Clemens/Eidams
Sunday April 21
Afternoon Session (12pm BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (6pm BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Where does the Premier League head next?
Michael van Gerwen is the seven-time Premier League champion
The Premier League continues with Night 13 at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool on Thursday, April 25, as Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price collide in the opening match of the night.
World champion Luke Humphries goes head to head with Nathan Aspinall, Michael van Gerwen will play Peter Wright for a place in the semi-finals, while Michael Smith and Rob Cross are also in action on Merseyside.
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