MICHAEL VAN GERWEN will begin his bid to win a fifth successive Dutch Darts Masters title on Saturday in Zwolle against either Mike De Decker or Terry Jenkins.
World number one Van Gerwen has enjoyed remarkable success in the PDC European Tour's recent visits to the Netherlands, winning each title since 2014.
Van Gerwen claimed his third European Tour win in five events so far this year at last weekend's European Darts Grand Prix, and begins his bid for another title on Saturday night at the second round stage.
Belgian youngster De Decker and vastly experienced Jenkins will clash in one of 16 first round ties on Friday at the IJsselhallen in Zwolle.
Last weekend's Sindelfingen runner-up, James Wade, plays Spain's Cristo Reyes, while Jonny Clayton - a European Tour winner last month - meets Josh Payne.
Former European Tour event winners Adrian Lewis and Steve Beaton will play Host Nation Qualifiers Jan Dekker and Jeffrey de Graaf respectively.
Dutchman Christian Kist takes on Kyle Anderson while Jermaine Wattimena's reward for qualification on Thursday night was a tie with Adam Huckvale, a PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour event winner last weekend.
The Dutch Darts Masters will be broadcast throughout the weekend for PDCTV-HD Subscribers , and through a series of bookmakers' websites worldwide.
2018 Dutch Darts Masters
Draw Bracket
Rob Cross (3) v Steve Lennon/Rowby-John Rodriguez
John Henderson (14) v James Richardson/Jason Cullen
Mensur Suljovic (6) v Josh Payne/Jonny Clayton
Simon Whitlock (11) v Jan Dekker/Adrian Lewis
Joe Cullen (7) v Adam Huckvale/Jermaine Wattimena
Kim Huybrechts (10) v Wayne Jones/Jamie Lewis
Peter Wright (2) v Johan Engstrom/James Wilson
Gerwyn Price (15) v Toni Alcinas/Dragutin Horvat
Michael Smith (4) v Tobias Mueller/Stephen Bunting
Jelle Klaasen (13) v Ricky Evans/Krzysztof Ratajski
Daryl Gurney (5) v James Wade/Cristo Reyes
Mervyn King (12) v Ryan Joyce/Michael Rosenauer
Dave Chisnall (8) v Cameron Menzies/Kevin Munch
Ian White (9) v Christian Kist/Kyle Anderson
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Mike De Decker/Terry Jenkins
Darren Webster (16) v Jeffrey de Graaf/Steve Beaton
Schedule of Play
Friday May 11
First Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Ryan Joyce v Michael Rosenauer
Toni Alcinas v Dragutin Horvat
James Richardson v Jason Cullen
Adam Huckvale v Jermaine Wattimena
Wayne Jones v Jamie Lewis
Johan Engstrom v James Wilson
Steve Lennon v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Christian Kist v Kyle Anderson
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Cameron Menzies v Kevin Munch
Mike De Decker v Terry Jenkins
Jeffrey de Graaf v Steve Beaton
Tobias Mueller v Stephen Bunting
Josh Payne v Jonny Clayton
Ricky Evans v Krzysztof Ratajski
Jan Dekker v Adrian Lewis
James Wade v Cristo Reyes
Saturday May 12
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Kim Huybrechts v Jones/J Lewis
John Henderson v Richardson/Jason Cullen
Gerwyn Price v Alcinas/Horvat
Mervyn King v Joyce/Rosenauer
Joe Cullen v Huckvale/Wattimena
Dave Chisnall v Menzies/Munch
Ian White v Kist/Anderson
Michael Smith v Mueller/Bunting
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Simon Whitlock v Dekker/A Lewis
Mensur Suljovic v Payne/Clayton
Rob Cross v Lennon/Rodriguez
Peter Wright v Engstrom/Wilson
Jelle Klaasen v Evans/Ratajski
Daryl Gurney v Wade/Reyes
Michael van Gerwen v De Decker/Jenkins
Darren Webster v De Graaf/Beaton
Sunday May 13
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Third Round
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Format - All games up to and including the quarter-finals are the best of 11 legs, with the semi-finals the best of 13 legs and the final the best of 15 legs.
PDC European Tour events can be watched online by all PDCTV-HD Subscribers worldwide - click here to visit PDCTV-HD.
Live coverage with faster streams may also be available at the following bookmakers' websites:
bet365 - www.bet365.com - Worldwide
Bet90 - www.bet90.com - Brazil, Germany
Betfair - www.betfair.com - Brazil, Denmark, England, Ireland, Northern ireland, Scotland, Spain, Wales
Betfred - www.betfred.com - England, Ireland, Northern ireland, Scotland, Wales
bwin - www.bwin.com - Worldwide
Fonbet - www.fonbet.com - Armenia, Belarus, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Russian federation, Ukraine
Ligastavok - www.ligastavok.ru/ - Russia
Marathonbet - www.betmarathon.com - Belarus, Russian federation, Spain, Ukraine
Napoleonbet - www.en-gb.sports.napoleongames.be - Belgium
Nike - www.nike.sk - Slovakia
Olimp - www.betolimp.com - Kazakhstan, Russian federation
Paddy Power - www.paddypower.com/ - England, Ireland, Northern ireland, Scotland, Wales
Stoiximan - www.stoiximan.gr - Cyprus, Greece, Romania
Superbet - www.superbet.ro/ - Romania, Poland
Tempobet - www.tempobet.org - Europe
Totogaming - www.totogaming.am/en/ - Armenia
Tipsport - www.tipsport.cz - Czech Republic & Slovakia
Unibet - www.unibet.com - Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom
William Hill - www.williamhill.com - Great Britain, Ireland, Spain
Winlinebet - www.winlinebet.ru - Russia
World Sports Betting - www.worldsportsbetting.co.za - Namibia, South Africa