World Darts Championship first and second round draw schedule of play in full as Humphries and Littler opponents revealed

Luke Humphries will begin his defence of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship on the opening night of the 2024/25 tournament, with the schedule of play for the first and second rounds now finalised.

The pre-Christmas period in the sport's showpiece event will see the first and second rounds played across nine days from December 15-23, as 96 players prepare to feature in a festive feast of darts at London’s Alexandra Palace. Reigning champion Humphries will begin his bid for back-to-back titles on the tournament’s opening night, as he faces either French number one Thibault Tricole or Australian qualifier Joe Comito, who lock horns in the evening’s curtain-raiser.

Sunday’s action will also see European Championship runner-up Jermaine Wattimena take on Swiss debutant Stefan Bellmont, while 2011/12 quarter-finalist Kim Huybrechts plays Ireland’s Keane Barry. The first double session at this year’s World Darts Championship will take place on Monday December 16, as 2020/21 World Champion Gerwyn Price meets either Huybrechts or Barry.

Cameron Menzies and Leonard Gates go head-to-head in a fascinating first round tie, while Alan Soutar plays Kai Gotthardt on Monday afternoon. World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker – seeded for the first time at this event – headlines Tuesday afternoon’s action, as Kevin Doets and Noa-Lynn van Leuven collide in an all-Dutch affair. Two-time World Champion Peter Wright then takes centre stage in the evening session, which also sees Fallon Sherrock kick off her fifth World Championship campaign against Ryan Meikle.

Nathan Aspinall - a semi-finalist in 2018/19 and 2019/20 - will be the star attraction on Day Four of the £2.5m tournament, with Menzies or Gates awaiting the former World