THE opening night of the 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship will feature defending champion John Part.

Part will meet American Bill Davis on Friday December 19 as the £740,000 tournament gets underway at Alexandra Palace in London.

Former semi-finalists Wayne Jones and Andy Jenkins will also be in action, with the latter facing Dutch debutant Co Stompe, the recent German Darts Championship winner.

Holland's Roland Scholten will open the tournament against Spanish newcomer Carlos Rodriguez, who has enjoyed a successful first year on the professional circuit.

Two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley begins his challenge against either Warren French or Akihiro Nagakawa in the afternoon of Saturday December 20, with world number five Terry Jenkins and 2004 World Championship runner-up Kevin Painter also in action.

Saturday's evening session will feature world number one Phil Taylor, who opens his bid for a 14th World Championship against qualifier Steve Grubb.

Exciting young stars Michael van Gerwen and Kevin McDine also play on Saturday evening, while in-form Alan Tabern meets former World Champion Steve Beaton.

Sunday's afternoon session includes 2005 finalist Mark Dudbridge against qualifier Nick Fullwell ahead of an eagerly-awaited evening session.

Russian Anastasia Dobromyslova, the current Women's World Champion, meets Remco van Eijden in their preliminary round clash, while five-time

World Champion Raymond van Barneveld, three-time runner-up Peter Manley, Wayne Mardle and Andy Hamilton all step up to the oche.

Monday's evening session includes Colin Lloyd's meeting with Jelle Klaasen and Adrian Lewis' clash with Oceanic Masters winner Russell Stewart.

Kirk Shepherd, last year's runner-up, is in action during Tuesday's afternoon session, while the first round concludes on Tuesday evening and includes number three seed James Wade against Brendan Dolan.

The second round begins on Saturday December 27 following the Christmas break, including a potential contest between Taylor and van Gerwen - who met in a tight first round game last year.

Tickets for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship are still available - visit www.seetickets.com/darts or call 0871 231 0831 for more information.

2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
First Round (Preliminary Round games denoted by (P))
Friday December 19
7.10pm - Roland Scholten v Carlos Rodriguez
8.15pm - Warren French v Akihiro Nagakawa (P)
9.00pm - Wayne Jones v Robert Thornton
10.00pm - John Part v Bill Davis
11.00pm - Andy Jenkins v Co Stompe

Saturday December 20
12.40pm - Terry Jenkins v Dennis Smith
1.45pm - Hannes Schnier v Shi Yongsheng (P)
2.30pm - Kevin Painter v Matt Clark
3.30pm - Dennis Priestley v French/Nagakawa
4.30pm - Barrie Bates v Felix McBrearty

7.10pm - Alan Tabern v Steve Beaton
8.15pm - David Fatum v Shane O'Connor (P)
9.00pm - Michael van Gerwen v Darin Young
10.00pm - Phil Taylor v Steve Grubb
11.00pm - Alex Roy v Kevin McDine

Sunday December 21
1.10pm - Mark Walsh v Jamie Caven
2.15pm - Charles Losper v Sudesh Fitzgerald (P)
3.00pm - Mark Dudbridge v Nick Fullwell
4.00pm - Wes Newton v Per Laursen
5.00pm - Denis Ovens v Steve Maish

7.10pm - Andy Hamilton v Michael Barnard
8.15pm - Remco van Eijden v Anastasia Dobromyslova (P)
9.00pm - Wayne Mardle v Fatum/O'Connor
10.00pm - Raymond van Barneveld v Mark Stephenson
11.00pm - Peter Manley v Mensur Suljovic

Monday December 22
7.10pm - Chris Mason v John MaGowan
8.15pm - Marko Kantele v Lourence Ilagan (P)
9.00pm - Adrian Lewis v Russell Stewart
10.00pm - Colin Lloyd v Jelle Klaasen
11.00pm - Mervyn King v Schnier/Yongsheng

Tuesday December 23
12.40pm - Andy Smith v Tony Ayres
1.45pm - Adrian Gray v Paul Nicholson
2.45pm - Kirk Shepherd v Jan van der Rassel
3.45pm - Tony Eccles v van Eijden/Dobromyslova

7.10pm - Ronnie Baxter v Kantele/Ilagan
8.15pm - Colin Osborne v Losper/Fitzgerald
9.15pm - James Wade v Brendan Dolan
10.15pm - Vincent van der Voort v Nandor Bezzeg

Second Round
Saturday December 27
1.40pm - T Jenkins/D Smith v Roy/McDine
3.00pm - Tabern/Beaton v A Jenkins/Stompe
4.20pm - Scholten/Rodriguez v Painter/Clark

7.10pm - Manley/Suljovic v Dudbridge/Fullwell
8.30pm - Taylor/Grubb v van Gerwen/Young
9.50pm - Mardle/Fatum/O'Connor v Jones/Thornton

Sunday December 28
1.10pm - King/Schnier/Yongsheng v Walsh/Caven
2.30pm - Baxter/Kantele/Ilagan v Ovens/Maish
3.50pm - Hamilton/Barnard v A Smith/Ayres

7.10pm - Lloyd/Klaasen v Shepherd/van der Rassel
8.30pm - van Barneveld/Stephenson v Newton/Laursen
9.50pm - Part/Davis v Bates/McBrearty

Monday December 29
1.10pm - Lewis/Stewart v Gray/Nicholson
2.30pm - Priestley/French/Nagakawa v Mason/MaGowan
3.50pm - Osborne/Losper/Fitzgerald v van der Voort/Bezzeg

7.10pm - Wade/Dolan v Eccles/van Eijden/Dobromyslova
Third Round
8.30pm - Taylor/Grubb/van Gerwen/Young v Scholten/Rodriguez/Painter/Clark
9.50pm - Part/Davis/Bates/McBrearty v Manley/Suljovic/Dudbridge/Fullwell

Tuesday December 30
1.10pm - Lewis/Stewart/Gray/Nicholson v Priestley/French/Nagakawa/Mason/MaGowan
2.40pm - T Jenkins/D Smith/Roy/McDine v King/Schnier/Yongsheng/Walsh/Caven
4.10pm - Mardle/Fatum/O'Connor/Jones/Thornton v Tabern/Beaton/A Jenkins/Stompe

7.10pm - Hamilton/Barnard/A Smith/Ayres v Lloyd/Klaasen/Shepherd/van der Rassel
8.40pm - van Barneveld/Stephenson/Newton/Laursen v Baxter/Kantele/Ilagan/Ovens/Maish
10.10pm - Wade/Dolan/Eccles/van Eijden/Dobromyslova v Osborne/Losper/Fitzgerald/van der Voort/Bezzeg

Quarter-Finals
Thursday January 1 2009
7.15pm - T Jenkins/D Smith/Roy/McDine/King/Schnier/Yongsheng/Walsh/Caven v Part/Davis/Bates/McBrearty/Manley/Suljovic/Dudbridge/Fullwell
9.15pm - Taylor/Grubb/van Gerwen/Young/Scholten/Rodriguez/Painter/Clark v Mardle/Fatum/O'Connor/Jones/Thornton/Tabern/Beaton/A Jenkins/Stompe

Friday January 2
7.15pm - Lewis/Stewart/Gray/Nicholson/Priestley/French/Nagakawa/Mason/MaGowan v Wade/Dolan/Eccles/van Eijden/Dobromyslova/Osborne/Losper/Fitzgerald/van der Voort/Bezzeg
9.15pm - van Barneveld/Stephenson/Newton/Laursen/Baxter/Kantele/Ilagan/Ovens/Maish v Hamilton/Barnard/A Smith/Ayres/Lloyd/Klaasen/Shepherd/van der Rassel

Semi-Finals
Saturday January 3
7.15pm
9.15pm

Final
Sunday January 4
7.15pm