PDC Belgian Darts Championship Media Release

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 was 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.

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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

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Schedule of Play

Friday February 28

First Round

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)

Darren Penhall 3 v 6 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

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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

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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

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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

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Sunday March 1

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 GMT)

Third Round

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Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 GMT)

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

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Format

All games up to, and including, the quarter-finals, are the best of 11 legs. The semi-finals are the best of 13 legs and the final is the best of 15 legs.

Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order.

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ENDS

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