MIchael van Gerwen (Photo by Johannes Michel/PDC Europe)
Michael van Gerwen will begin his defence of the Hungarian Darts Trophy against Andrew Gilding or Matthew Dennant, with the draw and schedule for this weekend’s PDC European Tour event confirmed.
This weekend’s showpiece will see a 48-player field competing for the £30,000 top prize in Budapest, with Van Gerwen one of four former champions featuring in a star-studded line-up at the MVM Dome.
The Dutch superstar returned to winning ways on home soil at the World Series of Darts Finals last weekend, producing a string of superb displays to end his two-year wait for a PDC Premier event title.
The 36-year-old will now be aiming to continue his revival in the Hungarian capital, as he sets his sights on a record-extending 39th European Tour success.
Friday’s first round will feature 16 matches across two sessions, as 2024 runner-up Gian van Veen takes on Niko Springer in a battle between two of the sport’s most exciting talents.
2022 Hungarian Darts Trophy champion Joe Cullen kicks off his campaign against Germany’s Lukas Wenig, while European Champion Ritchie Edhouse faces Ryan Joyce for a place in round two.
Nathan Aspinall – a two-time winner on the European Tour in 2025 – faces Host Nation Qualifier Levente Sarai, while Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld also faces Hungarian opposition in the form of Nandor Major.
The top 16 players on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder will enter the tournament in round two on Saturday, as Van Gerwen – fresh from his Amsterdam exploits – prepares to face former UK Open champion Gilding or Dennant.
World number one Luke Humphries faces a potential showdown against Aspinall, while World Champion Luke Littler will meet either Cullen or Wenig for a place at Finals Day.
2021 champion Gerwyn Price will play either Richard Veenstra or Cam Crabtree in his opener, with 2023 winner Dave Chisnall awaiting Van Barneveld or Major for a place in round three.
Josh Rock – a European Tour finalist in Antwerp and Prague over the last month – also headlines this weekend’s action, with the Northern Irishman pitted against Ricardo Pietreczko or Jim Williams.
Jermaine Wattimena and Thibault Tricole lock horns for the right to play fourth seed Stephen Bunting, while James Wade will begin his bid against Luke Woodhouse or Hungary’s Andras Borbely.
Two-time European Champion Rob Cross is currently outside of the provisional qualification places for next month’s European Championship, and he could take on Northern Ireland’s World Cup champion Daryl Gurney, who meets Leon Weber in round one.
Ninth seed Damon Heta will do battle against Van Veen or Springer in one of Saturday’s stand-out ties, as Germany’s number one Martin Schindler kicks off his title challenge against Joyce or Edhouse.
