Steve Lennon has been handed a difficult draw as the first round ties for the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship have been confirmed.
The Carlow man will face the unseeded Madars Razma in his opening game of darts’ showpiece event with Lennon hopeful that he can finally progress beyond the second round for the first time in his career.
That is the first game of the afternoon session on Thursday, December 16. Lennon will take to the stage at 12.45pm.
The former World Cup finalist was defeated 3-1 by South Africa’s Devon Petersen in last year’s championship in an enthralling second round affair that was plagued with missed opportunities by both players.
Should he navigate a tricky first round tie, the Irish man will face Polish star Krzysztof Ratajski in the final game of the opening Friday’s afternoon session.
The stand out tie sees world champion Gerwyn Price begin the defence of his crown v Ritchie Edhouse/Lihao Wen on the opening night, Wednesday, December 17.
Lennon’s Irish compatriot William O’Connor takes to the oche on the same day as his fellow countryman when he faces Danny Lauby.
Irish teenager Keane Barry begins his tilt at the biggest event in the sport with a tricky first round tie against Royden Lam while five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld makes his return to the Alexandra Palace stage for the first time since 2019 with an opening round affair against Lourence Ilagan.
2021-22 World Darts Championship schedule of play
Wednesday, December 15 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ritchie Edhouse v Lihao Wen (R1)
Ricky Evans v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Adrian Lewis v Matt Campbell (R1)
Gerwyn Price v Edhouse/Wen (R2)
Thursday, December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Steve Lennon v Madars Razma (R1)
Scott Mitchell v Chris Landman (R1)
Chas Barstow v John Norman Jnr (R1)
Daryl Gurney v Evans/Kumar (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
William O’Connor v Danny Lauby (R1)
Ryan Meikle v Fabian Schmutzler (R1)
Ron Meulenkamp v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Gary Anderson v Lewis/Campbel (R2)
Friday, December 17
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ryan Joyce v Roman Benecky (R1)
Keane Barry v Royden Lam (R1)
Jermaine Wattimena v Boris Koltsov (R1)
Krzysztof Ratajski v Lennon/Razma (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Joe Murnan v Paul Lim (R1)
William Borland v Bradley Brooks (R1)
Ross Smith v Jeff Smith (R1)
Peter Wright v Meikle/Schmutzler (R2)
Saturday, December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Jamie Hughes v Raymond Smith (R1)
Callan Rydz v Yuki Yamada (R1)
Darius Labanauskas v Charles Losper (R1)
Ian White v Mitchell/Landman (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Adam Hunt v Boris Krcmar (R1)
Ted Evetts v Jim Williams (R1)
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Nick Kenny (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Barstow/Norman Jnr (R2)
Sunday, December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Maik Kuivenhoven v Ky Smith (R1)
Jason Heaver v Juan Francisco Rodriguez (R1)
Alan Soutar v Diogo Portela (R1)
Stephen Bunting v Ross Smith/J Smith (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Martijn Kleermaker v John Michael (R1)
Florian Hempel v Martin Schindler (R1)
Steve Beaton v Fallon Sherrock (R1)
Jonny Clayton v Barry/Lam (R2)
Monday, December 20 (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Luke Woodhouse v James Wilson (R1)
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez v Ben Robb (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
James Wade v Kuivenhoven/K Smith (R2)
Tuesday, December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x First Round, 2x Second Round
Lewy Williams v Toyokazu Shibata (R1)
Jason Lowe v Daniel Larsson (R1)
Mervyn King v Joyce/Benecky (R2)
Dave Chisnall v Labanauskas/Losper (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Vincent van der Voort v Hunt/Krcmar (R2)
Michael Smith v Meulenkamp/Ashton (R2)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Hempel/Schindler (R2)
Devon Petersen v Hughes/Raymond Smith (R2)
Wednesday, December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Ryan Searle v Borland/Brooks (R2)
Glen Durrant v O’Connor/Lauby (R2)
Luke Humphries v Rowby-John Rodriguez/Kenny (R2)
Joe Cullen v Evetts/J Williams (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Nathan Aspinall v Murnan/Lim (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Wattimena/Koltsov (R2)
Kim Huybrechts v Beaton/Sherrock (R2)
Simon Whitlock v Kleermaker/Michael (R2)
Thursday, December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
4x Second Round
Damon Heta v Woodhouse/Wilson (R2)
Brendan Dolan v Rydz/Yamada (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Soutar/Portela (R2)
Jose de Sousa v Lowe/Larsson (R2)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
4x Second Round
Danny Noppert v Heaver/Jose Francisco Rodriguez (R2)
Gabriel Clemens v L Williams/Shibata (R2)
Rob Cross v Van Barneveld/Ilagan (R2)
Chris Dobey v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez/Robb (R2)
Monday, December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Tuesday, December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Third Round
Wednesday, December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Thursday, December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x Fourth Round
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x Fourth Round
Saturday, January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1930 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Sunday, January 2 (1930 GMT)
2x Semi-Finals
Monday, January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final