GERWYN Price will start his bid for World Grand Prix glory on night two against the Netherlands’ Danny Noppert.

Gwent’s Price, 2020 winner, will lock horns with the Dutch number two in Leicester next Tuesday.

Reigning champion Luke Humphries and debutant Luke Littler will headline the opening night on the Monday.

Humphries will begin his title defence against Masters champion Stephen Bunting, as the world number one bids to join Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in becoming the third player to retain the coveted crown.

Monday's opening night will see eight first round ties take place at the Mattioli Arena, as teenage sensation Littler makes his World Grand Prix debut against fourth seed Rob Cross.

Carmarthenshire’s Jonny Clayton, 2021 champion, opens his challenge against newcomer Ritchie Edhouse, as 2022 runner-up Nathan Aspinall makes his big stage return against Ryan Searle.

Former finalists Raymond van Barneveld and Brendan Dolan will also feature on a star-studded evening, as they take on German duo Ricardo Pietreczko and Martin Schindler respectively.

Emerging Dutchman Gian van Veen faces world number ten Ross Smith in the evening's finale, while Josh Rock and Ryan Joyce go head-to-head in the tournament's curtain-raiser.

The first round will draw to a close on Tuesday evening, as six-time champion Van Gerwen continues his bid for a seventh double-start success against 2017 winner Daryl Gurney.

Michael Smith and Gary Anderson renew their rivalry in a repeat of their first round showdown at the World Matchplay.

Two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade plays 2018 runner-up Peter Wright in another blockbuster battle, as Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen collide on the World Grand Prix stage for a second straight year.

UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh kicks off his campaign against Luke Woodhouse, with Van den Bergh's fellow Belgian Mike De Decker pitted against Australian number one Damon Heta.

Two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall will open the show in Leicester on Tuesday, and the sixth seed faces a tough test against an in-form Cameron Menzies - one of five debutants in the 32-player field.

Following the conclusion of the first round, the last 16 will take place across Wednesday October 9 and Thursday October 10, before the quarter-finals are staged on Friday October 11.

However, in a change to last year’s format, Saturday’s semi-finals on October 12 will be contested over the best of nine sets, with the final set to be played over the best of 11 sets on Sunday October 13.

Schedule of play

Monday, October 7 (6pm, eight first-round matches): Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce, Brendan Dolan v Martin Schindler, Jonny Clayton v Ritchie Edhouse, Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Searle, Raymond van Barneveld v Ricardo Pietreczko, Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting, Rob Cross v Luke Littler, Gian van Veen v Ross Smith.

Tuesday, October 8 (6pm, eight first-round matches):Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies, Luke Woodhouse v Dimitri Van den Bergh, Mike De Decker v Damon Heta, Peter Wright v James Wade, Gerwyn Price v Danny Noppert, Michael Smith v Gary Anderson, Michael van Gerwen v Daryl Gurney, Chris Dobey v Joe Cullen.

Wednesday, October 9 (7pm, second round): Humphries/Bunting v Van Barneveld/Pietreczko, Clayton/Edhouse v Van Veen/R Smith, Cross/Littler v Dolan/Schindler, Aspinall/Searle v Rock/Joyce.

Thursday, October 10 (7pm): M Smith/Anderson v De Decker/Heta, Price/Noppert v Wright/Wade, Van Gerwen/Gurney v Dobey/Cullen, Chisnall/Menzies v Woodhouse/Van den Bergh.

Friday, October 11 (7pm): quarter-finals.

Saturday, October 12 (8.30pm): semi-Finals.

Sunday, October 13 (8pm): Final.