totesport.com Players Championship
PHIL TAYLOR will face Peter Manley in the first round of the totesport.com Players Championship on Thursday January 28.
World number one Taylor, the reigning champion in the £250,000 event, will take on his long-time rival at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet in a repeat of three World Championship finals the pair contested at the famous venue.
Their game will be played amongst eight first round clashes on the opening night of the ITV4-televised totesport.com Players Championship on Thursday January 28.
Robert Thornton, who was runner-up to Taylor in last year^s tournament, will take on Kevin Painter in another high-profile first round contest, seeing the English star return to the scene of one of his finest hours, the classic 2004 World Championship final against Taylor which went to a sudden-death leg.
Dennis Priestley, the 1994 World Champion in the first Professional Darts Corporation event at the Circus Tavern, will play Paul Nicholson, while Alan Tabern faces Andy Hamilton and Adrian Lewis, the number four seed, takes on Brendan Dolan.
The first round will conclude with a further eight matches on Friday January 29, including world number two James Wade^s clash with Mervyn King.
Mark Walsh, the number two seed following his success in winning four Players Championships last year, takes on Steve Hine, Gary Anderson faces Jelle Klaasen and Ronnie Baxter meets Mark Dudbridge, a former finalist in the World Championship at the Circus Tavern.
Number three seed Colin Osborne takes on Co Stompe, Jamie Caven clashes with Michael van Gerwen and Wes Newton meets Peter Wright.
Play continues with the second round staged across two sessions on Saturday January 30, with the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon, and the semi-finals and final played on Sunday evening.
The tournament has also received two boosts, with the announcement of totesport.com as title sponsors accompanied by the news that the Professional Darts Players Association have donated £50,000 to increase the prize fund to £250,000.
"The support of the PDPA has been invaluable in the creation of the Players Championship series of events on the PDC Pro Tour, and we^re delighted that this has been extended to the totesport.com Players Championship," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"We are also delighted to welcome totesport.com as the title sponsor of the totesport.com Players Championship.
"We believe this tournament has the potential to grow and grow, and is a great reward for the top players on the PDC Pro Tour to compete on the televised stage."
Trevor Beaumont, Chief Executive of totesport, said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring the first major PDC event of 2010 in what promises to be another exciting year for the PDC.
"This sponsorship along, with that of Hull City and others, demonstrates the depth of support we deliver across the sporting spectrum in addition to horse racing.
"Darts is booming and the Players Championship provides the perfect opportunity for totesport to extend our association with the sport following our sponsorship of many players, including world number five Mervyn King, over the past few years.
"We are eagerly awaiting the start of four days of top quality ^sporting arrers^ at the revered Circus Tavern, arguably the home of darts."
Tickets for the totesport.com Players Championship are priced from £20-£30 and available from the Circus Tavern Box Office on 01708 864001, 01708 863838 or 01708 867271.
Totesport.com Players Championship
First Round Draw
Phil Taylor (1) v Peter Manley (32)
Mark Walsh (2) v Steve Hine (31)
Colin Osborne (3) v Co Stompe (30)
Adrian Lewis (4) v Brendan Dolan (29)
Steve Beaton (5) v Tony Eccles (28)
Wes Newton (6) v Peter Wright (27)
Gary Anderson (7) v Jelle Klaasen (26)
Colin Lloyd (8) v Denis Ovens (25)
Robert Thornton (9) v Kevin Painter (24)
James Wade (10) v Mervyn King (23)
Ronnie Baxter (11) v Mark Dudbridge (22)
Dennis Priestley (12) v Paul Nicholson (21)
Alan Tabern (13) v Andy Hamilton (20)
Jamie Caven (14) v Michael van Gerwen (19)
Wayne Jones (15) v Andy Smith (18)
Terry Jenkins (16) v Vincent van der Voort (17)
Tournament Draw Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Peter Manley (32)
Terry Jenkins (16) v Vincent van der Voort (17)
Colin Lloyd (8) v Denis Ovens (25)
Robert Thornton (9) v Kevin Painter (24)
Steve Beaton (5) v Tony Eccles (28)
Dennis Priestley (12) v Paul Nicholson (21)
Adrian Lewis (4) v Brendan Dolan (29)
Alan Tabern (13) v Andy Hamilton (20)
Mark Walsh (2) v Steve Hine (31)
Wayne Jones (15) v Andy Smith (18)
Gary Anderson (7) v Jelle Klaasen (26)
James Wade (10) v Mervyn King (23)
Wes Newton (6) v Peter Wright (27)
Ronnie Baxter (11) v Mark Dudbridge (22)
Colin Osborne (3) v Co Stompe (30)
Jamie Caven (14) v Michael van Gerwen (19)
Schedule of Play
Thursday January 28
First Round
7.10pm Colin Lloyd v Denis Ovens
7.45pm Steve Beaton v Tony Eccles
8.20pm Dennis Priestley v Paul Nicholson
8.55pm Alan Tabern v Andy Hamilton
9.30pm Terry Jenkins v Vincent van der Voort
10.05pm Phil Taylor v Peter Manley
10.40pm Robert Thornton v Kevin Painter
11.15pm Adrian Lewis v Brendan Dolan
Friday January 29
7.10pm Wayne Jones v Andy Smith
7.45pm Wes Newton v Peter Wright
8.20pm Colin Osborne v Co Stompe
8.55pm Mark Walsh v Steve Hine
9.30pm Gary Anderson v Jelle Klaasen
10.05pm James Wade v Mervyn King
10.40pm Ronnie Baxter v Mark Dudbridge
11.15pm Jamie Caven v Michael van Gerwen
Saturday January 30
Second Round
1.10pm Beaton/Eccles v Priestley/Nicholson
2.10pm Lloyd/Ovens v Thornton/Painter
3.10pm Walsh/Hine v Jones/Smith
4.10pm Newton/Wright v Baxter/Dudbridge
7.10pm Lewis/Dolan v Tabern/Hamilton
8.10pm Anderson/Klaasen v Wade/King
9.10pm Taylor/Manley v Jenkins/van der Voort
10.10pm Osborne/Stompe v Caven/van Gerwen
Sunday January 31
Quarter-Finals
1.10pm Beaton/Eccles/Priestley/Nicholson v Lewis/Dolan/Tabern/Hamilton
2.10pm Newton/Wright/Baxter/Dudbridge v Osborne/Stompe/Caven/van Gerwen
3.10pm Taylor/Manley/Jenkins/van der Voort v Lloyd/Ovens/Thornton/Painter
4.10pm Walsh/Hine/Jones/Smith v Anderson/Klaasen/Wade/King
Semi-Finals
7.10pm
8.10pm
Order of play to be decided by toss of coin
Final
9.30pm
Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 15 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 17 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Final - Best of 25 legs
Prize Fund
Winner: £60,000
Runner-Up: £24,000
Semi-Final Losers: £15,000
Quarter-Final Losers: £10,000
Second Round Losers: £6,000
First Round Losers: £3,000
Total Prize Fund: £250,000