Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen took to the Ally Pally stage on Friday night, a record-breaking evening for the world tennis championship.
2014, Van Gerwen, winner of the PDC in 2017 and 2019, has slowed his pace in recent years, but the 35-year-old is still ranked third in the world and poses a real threat again.
He will play James Hurrell in the second round on the final day of the 6th, where he will return to the quarter-finals in 2022.
In the big game later in the day, favorite Stephen Bunting faces Kai Gotthardt.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐭! 🏆🎯 It's time to go for that iconic trophy again! 💚 Let's make it unforgettable. Who's ready? Let's do this. pic.twitter.com/Ms3tNGXRhf
— Michael Van Gerwen (@MvG180) December 15 2024
Bunting, 39, has never reached the semi-finals at the PDC but will be hoping to progress to the third round with few upsets.
Order
Afternoon (from 12:30 GMT)
Stephen Burton and Alex Merkx (R1)
Wessel Nijman and Cameron Carolissen (R1)
Ian White and Sandro Sosing (R1)
Stephen Bunting and Kai Gotthardt (R2)
Evening (from 19:00 GMT)
Mickey Mansell and Tomoya Goto (R1)
Florian Hempel and Jeffrey de Zwaan (R1)
William O'Connor and Dylan Slevin (R1)
Michael van Gerwen and James Hurrell (R2)
How to monitor
The PDC World Championship is shown on Sky Sports in the UK.
You can watch the afternoon on Sky Sports Darts and the Main Event from 12:30 GMT, and the evening from 19:00 on both channels.
Estimates
It's regular winning for Bunting and Van Gerwen, who is hungry to regain his title on the biggest stage.