Czech Darts Open: Luke Littler, match schedule, television details

This will be the 13th and final European Tour event of the year and the 17-year-old superstar could be set for a bumper opening contest in Prague.

Littler, who lived in Runcorn for the early years of his childhood, will be on the PVA EXPO stage on Saturday night to face the winner of the clash between Nathan Aspinall and a home nation qualifier.

A place in the third round on Sunday afternoon beckons, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all to follow on Sunday night.

The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit following this weekend will qualify for the showpiece European Championships in Dortmund from October 24-27, with Aspinall currently occupying the final qualification place.

Littler is third on the ladder and safely through, no matter what happens this weekend.

He exited the World Grand Prix against Rob Cross last week, and was beaten in the second round of Wednesday’s Player Championship event in Wigan.

Local players mingled with ‘The Nuke’ on Tuesday night when he attended the Warrington 501 Darts League summer presentation night at St Benedicts Social Club, when his brother Leon was defeated in the semi-finals of the MF Logistics UK Ltd 180s competition eventually won by Paul Clarke.

But now Littler has his sights on a third European Tour victory of his maiden year at elite level, having already won the Belgian and Austrian Opens.

All the usual star names will be looking to bag the top prize for themselves, though.

Reigning champion Peter Wright opens his title challenge on Friday evening, as he faces an all-Scottish showdown against Cameron Menzies.

Aspinall’s clash with a host nation qualifier will also be among the headline acts in Friday's first round, which will be broadcast through PDCTV, Viaplay and DAZN – with 16 matches taking place across two sessions.

Dimitri Van den Bergh also faces a fight to seal his place in Dortmund, and the UK Open champion will go head-to-head with world number six Jonny Clayton for a place in round two.

World number two Michael Smith will aim to cement his European Championship qualification when he faces Kevin Doets.

Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney will meet Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld, as newly crowned World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker returns to big stage action against Brett Claydon.

German duo Gabriel Clemens and Florian Hempel will play Brendan Dolan and Alan Soutar respectively, while Callan Rydz – also hunting down Aspinall in the race for European Championship qualification – faces Martin Lukeman.

The 16 seeded players enter the fray in Saturday’s second round, as top seed Dave Chisnall begins his bid for a third European Tour title of 2024 against Robert Owen or Niels Zonneveld.

World number one Luke Humphries will play Ritchie Edhouse or a Host Nation representative for a place in Sunday’s third round, with second seed Ross Smith pitted against Hempel or Soutar.

Teenage sensation Littler could renew his rivalry with Aspinall in Saturday’s second round, while fifth seed Gerwyn Price will play either Gurney or Van Barneveld in his opener.

Three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen will also feature in the Czech capital, as he begins his bid for a record-extending 38th European Tour title against Krzysztof Ratajski or Madars Razma.

De Decker and Claydon will battle it out for the right to take on sixth seed Danny Noppert, as Stephen Bunting meets either Van den Bergh or Clayton in a blockbuster tussle.

Martin Schindler currently tops the European Tour Order of Merit heading into Prague, and the German number one will face Scottish opposition in the form of Wright or Menzies.

Gian van Veen could meet James Wade in a repeat of last year’s European Championship semi-finals, while Ryan Searle plays Doets or Michael Smith for a last 16 berth.

Following Saturday’s second round, the last 16 will take place on Sunday afternoon, before the tournament concludes with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a blockbuster evening session.

Live coverage of the Czech Darts Open will be streamed through Viaplay, and through DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Coverage will also be shown on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers' worldwide.

Czech Darts Open Tournament Draw Bracket - Second Round Onwards

Players seeded based on ProTour Order of Merit position

(1) Dave Chisnall v Robert Owen/Niels Zonneveld

(16) Ricardo Pietreczko v Martin Lukeman/Callan Rydz

(8) Stephen Bunting v Dimitri Van den Bergh/Jonny Clayton

(9) Ryan Searle v Kevin Doets/Michael Smith

(4) Josh Rock v Joe Cullen/Host Nation Qualifier 3

(13) Rob Cross v Luke Woodhouse/Marko Kantele

(5) Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney/Raymond van Barneveld

(12) Chris Dobey v Jermaine Wattimena/Patrik Kovacs

(2) Ross Smith v Florian Hempel/Alan Soutar

(15) Michael van Gerwen v Krzysztof Ratajski/Madars Razma

(7) Damon Heta v Brendan Dolan/Gabriel Clemens

(10) Luke Littler v Host Nation Qualifier 4/Nathan Aspinall

(3) Luke Humphries v Ritchie Edhouse/Host Nation Qualifier 2

(14) Gian van Veen v James Wade/Host Nation Qualifier 1

(6) Danny Noppert v Mike De Decker/Brett Claydon

(11) Martin Schindler v Cameron Menzies/Peter Wright

Czech Darts Open Schedule of Play

Friday October 18

First Round

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)

Robert Owen v Niels Zonneveld

Jermaine Wattimena v Patrik Kovacs

Ritchie Edhouse v Host Nation Qualifier 2

Florian Hempel v Alan Soutar

Krzysztof Ratajski v Madars Razma

Brendan Dolan v Gabriel Clemens

Martin Lukeman v Callan Rydz

Joe Cullen v Host Nation Qualifier 3

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)

Luke Woodhouse v Marko Kantele

James Wade v Host Nation Qualifier 1

Mike De Decker v Brett Claydon

Host Nation Qualifier 4 v Nathan Aspinall

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jonny Clayton

Daryl Gurney v Raymond van Barneveld

Cameron Menzies v Peter Wright

Kevin Doets v Michael Smith

Saturday October 19

Second Round

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)

Ricardo Pietreczko v Lukeman/Rydz

Damon Heta v Dolan/Clemens

Chris Dobey v Wattimena/Kovacs

Josh Rock v Cullen/Host Nation Qualifier 3

Rob Cross v Woodhouse/Kantele

Ross Smith v Hempel/Soutar

Danny Noppert v De Decker/Claydon

Ryan Searle v Doets/M Smith

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)

Gian van Veen v Wade/Host Nation Qualifier 1

Dave Chisnall v Owen/Zonneveld

Gerwyn Price v Gurney/Van Barneveld

Stephen Bunting v Van den Bergh/Clayton

Michael van Gerwen v Ratajski/Razma

Luke Littler v Host Nation Qualifier 4/Aspinall

Luke Humphries v Edhouse/Host Nation Qualifier 2

Martin Schindler v Menzies/Wright

Sunday October 20

Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)

Third Round

Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final