ROB CROSS and Lisa Ashton will headline the opening night of the 2018/2019 William Hill World Darts Championship, with the schedule for darts' biggest event now confirmed.
The £2.5 million event's first of 16 days of action on Thursday December 13 at London's Alexandra Palace will see reigning World Champion Cross open his title defence.
The Hastings ace will take on the winner of the tournament's opening fixture, between World Matchplay semi-finalist Jeffrey de Zwaan and Indian Qualifier Nitin Kumar, as he aims to repeat last year's incredible success.
Reigning Lakeside Women's Champion Ashton will make her Alexandra Palace debut against Dutchman Jan Dekker in another high-profile fixture on the opening night.
Ashton joined Anastasia Dobromyslova in qualifying for the event, with the Russian ace set to take on Ryan Joyce in her opening tie on Monday December 17.
Two-time World Champion Gary Anderson headlines the second day of action as he meets Paul Nicholson or Kevin Burness, with 2018 semi-finalist Jamie Lewis also in action as he plays Martin Schindler or Cody Harris.
World number one Michael van Gerwen enters the event on Saturday December 15 to play either Alan Tabern or Raymond Smith, with former World Youth Champions Max Hopp and Keegan Brown taking to the stage across the double session.
Former World Championship finalist Peter Wright, Dave Chisnall and the legendary Paul Lim are amongst the stars in action on Sunday December 16.
Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld begins his penultimate Ally Pally challenge - ahead of his retirement at the end of next year - on Monday December 17 against either Matthew Edgar or Darius Labanauskas.
New Players Championship Finals winner Daryl Gurney takes to the stage alongside World Youth Champion Dimitri Van den Bergh and former UK Open and World Grand Prix champion Robert Thornton on Tuesday December 18.
European Championship and World Series of Darts Finals winner James Wade is joined by Shanghai Darts Masters champion Michael Smith and 2010 World Championship finalist Simon Whitlock on Wednesday December 19.
Two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis opens his bid for a third Ally Pally title on Thursday December 20, with former Lakeside Champions Steve Beaton and Stephen Bunting and former Champions League winner Mensur Suljovic also in action.
The second round concludes on Friday December 21, with new Grand Slam of Darts champion Gerwyn Price and 2018 European Tour event winners Ian White and Jonny Clayton taking to the stage.
The third round is split either side of the Christmas break, with the fourth round being played on December 27-28 ahead of the quarter-finals across two sessions on December 29.
The semi-finals on Sunday December 30 will be followed on Tuesday January 1 by the final as sport's first World Champion of 2019 hoists the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Tickets for the William Hill World Darts Championship are still available, with very limited availability for some sessions. Information for tickets and Hospitality Packages can be seen at THIS LINK or CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SEETICKETS WEBSITE.
The William Hill World Darts Championship will be broadcast live on the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel from December 13-January 1.
2018/2019 William Hill World Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday December 13 (1900)
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Martin Schindler v Cody Harris (R1)
Jan Dekker v Lisa Ashton (R1)
Rob Cross v De Zwaan/Kumar (R2)
Friday December 14
Afternoon Session (1230)
Michael Barnard v Jose De Sousa (R1)
Alan Tabern v Raymond Smith (R1)
Paul Nicholson v Kevin Burness (R1)
Jamie Lewis v Schindler/Harris (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Danny Noppert v Royden Lam (R1)
Simon Stevenson v Ted Evetts (R1)
Chris Dobey v Boris Koltsov (R1)
Gary Anderson v Nicholson/Burness (R2)
Saturday December 15
Afternoon Session (1230)
Richard North v Robert Marijanovic (R1)
Mickey Mansell v Jim Long (R1)
Josh Payne v Jeff Smith (R1)
Max Hopp v Noppert/Lam (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Toni Alcinas v Craig Ross (R1)
Ryan Searle v Stephen Burton (R1)
Keegan Brown v Karel Sedlacek (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Tabern/Ray Smith (R2)
Sunday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230)
Gabriel Clemens v Aden Kirk (R1)
William O’Connor v Yordi Meeuwisse (R1)
Brendan Dolan v Yuanjun Liu (R1)
Dave Chisnall v Payne/J Smith (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Luke Humphries v Adam Hunt (R1)
Matthew Edgar v Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Ross Smith v Paul Lim (R1)
Peter Wright v Alcinas/Ross (R2)
Monday December 17 (1900)
Vincent van der Voort v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
Wayne Jones v Devon Petersen (R1)
Ryan Joyce v Anastasia Dobromyslova (R1)
Raymond van Barneveld v Edgar/Labanauskas (R2)
Tuesday December 18
Afternoon Session (1230)
Robert Thornton v Daniel Larsson (R1)
Ricky Evans v Rowby-John Rodriguez (R1)
Krzysztof Ratajski v Seigo Asada (R1)
Darren Webster v Van der Voort/Ilagan (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Steve Lennon v James Bailey (R1)
Ron Meulenkamp v Diogo Portela (R1)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Chuck Puleo (R1)
Daryl Gurney v Ross Smith/Lim (R2)
Wednesday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230)
Nathan Aspinall v Geert Nentjes (R1)
Jeffrey de Graaf v Noel Malicdem (R1)
Joe Cullen v Dolan/Liu (R2)
Kim Huybrechts v Thornton/Larsson (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
James Wilson v O’Connor/Meuwisse (R2)
Simon Whitlock v Joyce/Dobromyslova (R2)
Michael Smith v Meulenkamp/Portela (R2)
James Wade v Ratajski/Asada (R2)
Thursday December 20
Afternoon Session (1230)
Jermaine Wattimena v Barnard/De Sousa (R2)
Alan Norris v Lennon/Bailey (R2)
Stephen Bunting v Humphries/Hunt (R2)
Steve Beaton v Dobey/Koltsov (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Cristo Reyes v Evans/Rodriguez (R2)
Mervyn King v Dekker/Ashton (R2)
Adrian Lewis v Stevenson/Evetts (R2)
Mensur Suljovic v Searle/Burton (R2)
Friday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230)
Benito van de Pas v Mansell/Long (R2)
John Henderson v Clemens/Kirk (R2)
Steve West v North/Marijanovic (R2)
Kyle Anderson v De Graaf/Malicdem (R2)
Evening Session (1900)
Ian White v Jones/Petersen (R2)
Jelle Klaasen v Brown/Sedlacek (R2)
Gerwyn Price v Aspinall/Nentjes (R2)
Jonny Clayton v Van den Bergh/Puleo (R2)
Saturday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230)
Whitlock/Joyce/Dobromyslova v Norris/Lennon/Bailey (R3)
Chisnall/Payne/J Smith v Huybrechts/Thornton/Larsson (R3)
Gurney/Ross Smith/Lim v J Lewis/Schindler/Harris (R3)
Evening Session (1900)
Suljovic/Searle/Burton v Wilson/O’Connor/Meeuwisse (R3)
G Anderson/Nicholson/Burness v Wattimena/Barnard/De Sousa (R3)
Van Gerwen/Tabern/Ray Smith v Hopp/Noppert/Lam (R3)
Sunday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230)
Webster/Van der Voort/Ilagan v Beaton/Dobey/Koltsov (R3)
Cullen/Dolan/Liu v King/Dekker/Ashton (R3)
Wade/Ratajski/Asada v Klaasen/Brown/Sedlacek (R3)
Evening Session (1900)
A Lewis/Stevenson/Evetts v Van Barneveld/Edgar/Labanauskas (R3)
Price/Aspinall/Nentjes v K Anderson/De Graaf/Malicdem (R3)
Cross/De Zwaan/Kumar v Reyes/Evans/Rodriguez (R3)
Thursday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230)
White/Jones/Petersen v West/North/Marijanovic (R3)
Clayton/Van den Bergh/Puleo v Bunting/Humphries/Hunt (R3)
M Smith/Meulenkamp/Portela v Henderson/Clemens/Kirk (R3)
Evening Session (1900)
Wright/Alcinas/Ross v Van de Pas/Mansell/Long (R3)
Fourth Round x2
Friday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230)
Fourth Round x3
Evening Session (1900)
Fourth Round x3
Saturday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230)
Quarter-Finals x2
Evening Session (1900)
Quarter-Finals x2
Sunday December 30 (1900)
Semi-Finals
Tuesday January 1 (2000)
Final
Format
First Round - Best of five sets (no tie-break)
Second Round - Best of five sets
Third Round - Best of seven sets
Fourth Round - Best of seven sets
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine sets
Semi-Finals - Best of 11 sets
Final - Best of 13 sets
A tie-break will be in operation in all round from the second round onwards, where the final set must be won by two clear legs. If the score reaches five-all, the 11th leg will be a sudden-death leg.