Pick of the first round
Tuesday 2 December 2014 14:01, UK
The big names are out of the hat in the World Darts Championship first-round draw but Rod Harrington and Wayne Mardle have their eyes on a pair of closely-matched ties.
Keegan Brown's up against three-time champion John Part. That’s a real tough one for Part, he’s got to be on his game otherwise the youngster will get through there.
Although top seeds Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor emerged relatively unscathed in the draw, our Sky Sports experts believe some high-profile players will struggle at the first hurdle.
Harrington has identified a tie between a seasoned veteran and a fearless youngster.
He said: "I’ve got to go with the youth player Keegan Brown. He had a great Grand Slam, beating Raymond van Barneveld and he could have got to the final if he had played a bit better. He’s up against three-time champion John Part.
"That’s a real tough one for Part, he’s got to be on his game otherwise the youngster will get through there."
Mardle's pick of the bunch was an all-Dutch clash between compatriots who will not have wanted to meet so early.
He said: "Christian Kist v Jelle Klaasen – that could be anything. Kist has been superb this year, he really has, and he’s been unlucky not to qualify for more tournaments. Klaasen, we know what he can do. Two former world champs, one will be going home, a terrible draw for both."
The World Darts Championship is live on Sky Sports Darts from December 18.
