The crème de la crème of the darts world meet at Wolverhampton Civic Hall to contest the 2013 Grand Slam of Darts with all nine days live on Sky Sports.
Raymond van Barneveld defends his title against 31 of the sport’s best and the Sky Sports cameras will be at the oche to bring darts fans comprehensive coverage throughout the competition.
The tournament is the only televised darts event based in the UK unites the PDC and BDO circuits and includes this year’s major title holders and finalists, plus wildcard qualifiers and youth champions.
‘Barney’ ended his five-year wait for a major individual title at last year’s event and became the third different player to win the Grand Slam title since its inception in 2007, after Phil Taylor (2007-09 & 2011) and Scott Waites (2010).
The five-time world champion saw off Dutch compatriot Michael van Gerwen, who had won the World Grand Prix title a month before, in a thrilling final by 16 legs to 14.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Taylor has been drawn alongside Kevin Painter, Paul Nicholson and Stuart Kellett in the group stages of the 2013 event, while van Barneveld kicks off the defence of his title alongside experienced pair Mervyn King and Tony O’Shea, plus World Youth Championship finalist Ricky Evans.
PDC world champion Taylor, a four-time Grand Slam of Darts winner, will head Group A for the 32-player event as he bids to follow up last weekend’s Coral Masters triumph in Edinburgh with another major title.
Taylor is drawn in a tough Group A alongside former Players Championship Finals winners Kevin Painter and Paul Nicholson and Cheshire’s emerging star Stuart Kellett, who is one of the four wildcard qualifiers for the event.
2010 Grand Slam champion Scott Waites, the reigning BDO world champion and number three seed, is drawn in Group H with World Grand Prix finalist Dave Chisnall, world youth champion Michael Smith and two-time Lakeside champion Ted Hankey.
Number four seed Michael van Gerwen, the 2013 Premier League Darts champion, is drawn with Belgian ace Kim Huybrechts, Dean Winstanley and Dutch ace Vincent van der Voort in Group D.
European champion Adrian Lewis, the number five seed, is paired with former Lakeside Champion Christian Kist, Belgium’s Ronny Huybrechts and youngster Richie George – a Lakeside World Championship semi-finalist back in January and son of BDO legend Bobby George – in Group C.
Number six seed Simon Whitlock, the 2012 European Champion, faces world number eight Wes Newton, former Lakeside Champion Mark Webster and PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour winner Ross Smith in Group G.
UK Open finalist Andy Hamilton, the number seven seed, tops Group F alongside 2012 UK Open champion Robert Thornton, former Grand Slam semi-finalist Mark Walsh and Wildcard Qualifier Justin Pipe.
Seven-time major champion James Wade, the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts runner-up and number eight seed, is joined in Group B by former Wolves Civic finalist Gary Anderson, Dutchman Wesley Harms and Wildcard Qualifier Peter Wright.
Wright, Pipe, Kellett and van der Voort won through from over 170 players in a Wildcard Qualifier in Wigan earlier this week to complete the 32-player field, which is comprised mainly of players who reach the finals of major TV tournaments over a two-year period.
The 2013 William Hill Grand Slam of Darts will be held from November 9-17 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, with the first four days seeing six sessions of group stage games.
The top two players from each group then progress to the Knockout Stage from the Last 16 onwards, with both the semi-finals and final being held on Sunday November 17.
Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall will be packed with a raucous crowd and viewers can enjoy the electric atmosphere of the seventh edition of the Grand Slam of Darts live on Sky Sports HD.
Dave Clark presents all the action from inside the Civic Hall alongside Rod Harrington, Eric Bristow and Wayne Mardle.
Rod Studd, Stuart Pyke and Nigel Pearson will lead the commentary team, while John McDonald introduces the players onto the stage.
.
DAY 1: Group Stages LIVE: 1.30pm-5.00pm & 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 4 Afternoon Session
Robert Thornton 5-0 Mark Walsh (F)
Andy Hamilton 2-5 Justin Pipe (F)
Scott Waites 5-3 Ted Hankey (H)
Dave Chisnall 3-5 Michael Smith (H)
Wes Newton 2-5 Mark Webster (G)
Simon Whitlock 5-2 Ross Smith (G)
Mervyn King 4-5 Tony O’Shea (E)
Raymond van Barneveld 5-2 Ricky Evans (E) Evening Session
Gary Anderson 5-1 Wesley Harms (B)
James Wade 5-2 Peter Wright (B)
Christian Kist 3-5 Ronny Huybrechts (C)
Adrian Lewis 5-2 Richie George (C)
Kevin Painter 2-5 Paul Nicholson (A)
Phil Taylor 5-0 Stuart Kellett (A)
Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Vincent van der Voort (D)
Kim Huybrechts 2-5 Dean Winstanley (D) Sunday 10th November DAY 2: Group Stages LIVE: 1.30pm-5.30pm & 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 4 Afternoon Session Mervyn King 5-2 Ricky Evans (E) Andy Hamilton 5-1 Mark Walsh (F)
Wes Newton 5-2 Ross Smith (G)
Dave Chisnall 3-5 Ted Hankey (H)
Robert Thornton 5-2 Justin Pipe (F)
Scott Waites 5-2 Michael Smith (H)
Raymond van Barneveld 5-4 Tony O’Shea (E)
Simon Whitlock 5-1 Mark Webster (G) Evening Session Christian Kist 5-2 Richie George (C)
Wesley Harms 2-5 Peter Wright (B)
Kevin Painter 4-5 Stuart Kellett (A)
Kim Huybrechts 5-0 Vincent van der Voort (D)
Adrian Lewis 3-5 Ronny Huybrechts (C)
Phil Taylor 5-1 Paul Nicholson (A)
James Wade 5-3 Gary Anderson (B)
Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dean Winstanley (D) Monday 11th November DAY 3: Group Stages LIVE: 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 1 Mark Walsh 5-2 Justin Pipe (F)
Scott Waites 5-1 Dave Chisnall (H)
Tony O’Shea 5-1 Ricky Evans (E)
Mark Webster 5-3 Ross Smith (G)
Andy Hamilton 5-4 Robert Thornton (F)
Raymond van Barneveld 3-5 Mervyn King (E)
Simon Whitlock 4-5 Wes Newton (G)
Michael Smith 1-5 Ted Hankey (H) Tuesday 12th November 12 DAY 4: Group Stages LIVE: 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 1 Ronny Huybrechts 5-3 Richie George (C) Phil Taylor 5-0 Kevin Painter (A)
James Wade 5-2 Wesley Harms (B)
Dean Winstanley 3-5 Vincent van der Voort (D)
Paul Nicholson 5-2 Stuart Kellett (A)
Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Kim Huybrechts (D)
Adrian Lewis 5-3 Christian Kist (C)
Gary Anderson 5-1 Peter Wright (B) Wednesday 13th November DAY 5: Second Round LIVE: 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 1 Scott Waites 10-6 Mark Webster
Tony O’Shea 10-7 Andy Hamilton
Robert Thornton 10-8 Mervyn King
Simon Whitlock 10-9 Ted Hankey Thursday 14th November DAY 6: Second Round LIVE: 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 2 Paul Nicholson 10-1 James Wade
Ronny Huybrechts 5-10 Kim Huybrechts
Phil Taylor 10-5 Gary Anderson
Adrian Lewis 10-8 Michael van Gerwen Friday 15th November DAY 7: Quarter Finals LIVE: 7.00pm-10.30pm Sky Sports 1 Tony O’Shea 6-16 Robert Thornton Ted Hankey 10-16 Scott Waites Saturday 16th November DAY 8: Quarter Finals LIVE: 7.00pm-10.30pm Sky Sports 1 Kim Huybrechts 11-16 Adrian Lewis Phil Taylor 16-12 James Wade Sunday 17th November DAY 9: Semi Finals LIVE: 1.00pm-4.00pm Sky Sports 1 Robert Thornton v Scott Waites Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis Grand Slam of Darts Final 2013 LIVE: 7.00pm-9.00pm Sky Sports 1 . .
