Phil Taylor has been nominated for BBC Sport Personality of the Year

Phil Taylor will begin the defence of his PDC World Championship title against American Gary Mawson or Juanito Gionzon of the Philippines in London.

American number two Mawson and Gionzon, the current Philippines national champion, face each other in a preliminary round match.

The winner will face number one seed and 15-time world champion Taylor on the opening night, 16 December.

The Alexandra Palace event will have 72 players taking part.

The tournament features the Professional Darts Corporation's top 32 players alongside 40 qualifiers who have won their place through a series of championships held during the year or international knockouts.

Taylor, 50, who has been nominated for the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, will be hoping to lift an incredible 16th world title in the final on 3 January 2011, along with prize-money of £200,000 from a total prize fund of £1m.

The first round will be played from 16-23 December with the last 32 returning after Christmas to compete in the remainder of the event.

World number two James Wade will face Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas in the first round, while number three seed Raymond van Barneveld begins his quest for a sixth world crown against England's Steve Hine.

Australia's Simon Whitlock, who is fourth in the PDC's order of merit after reaching last year's final at Alexandra Palace, plays Steve Evans of Wales.

PDC World Darts Championship
Preliminary Round Draw

Magnus Caris (Swe) v Dietmar Burger (Aut)
Devon Petersen (SA) v Norman Madhoo (Guy)
Gary Mawson (US) v Juanito Gionzon (Phi)
Michael Mansell (NI) v Preston Ridd (NZ)
Roland Scholten (Ned) v Veijo Viinikka (Fin)
Jyhan Artut (Ger) v Scott MacKenzie (HK)
Per Laursen (Den) v Boris Krcmar (Cro)
Matt Padgett (Eng) v Morihiro Hashimoto (Jpn)

First Round Draw (seedings in brackets)

(1) Phil Taylor (Eng) v Gary Mawson (US)/Juanito Gionzon (Phi)
(32) John Part (Can) v Per Laursen (Den) / Boris Krcmar (Cro)
(16) Paul Nicholson (Aus) v Steve Farmer (Eng)
(17) Co Stompe (Ned) v Peter Wright (Sco)
(8) Ronnie Baxter (Eng) v Roland Scholten (Ned) / Veijo Viinikka (Fin)
(25) Mark Webster (Wal) v Steve Maish (Eng)
(9) Colin Lloyd (Eng) v Andree Welge (Ger)
(24) Steve Beaton (Eng) v Mark Hylton (Eng)
(5) Adrian Lewis (Eng) v Tony Eccles (Eng)
(28) Mark Dudbridge (Eng) v Alex Roy (Eng)
(12) Andy Hamilton (Eng) v Dennis Smith (Eng)
(21) Robert Thornton (Sco) v Nigel Heydon (Eng)
(4) Simon Whitlock (Aus) v Steve Evans (Wal)
(29) Denis Ovens (Eng) v Jyhan Artut (Ger) / Scott MacKenzie (HK)
(13) Wayne Jones (Eng) v Rob Modra (Aus)
(20) Vincent van der Voort (Ned) v Michael Mansell (NI)/Preston Ridd (NZ)
(2) James Wade (Eng) v Antonio Alcinas (Spa)
(31) Michael van Gerwen (Ned) v Mensur Suljovic (Aut)
(15) Wes Newton (Eng) v Darin Young (US)
(18) Kevin Painter (Eng) v Brendan Dolan (NI)
(7) Terry Jenkins (Eng) v Joe Cullen (Eng)
(26) Jelle Klaasen (Ned) v Steve Brown (Eng)
(10) Mark Walsh (Eng) v Justin Pipe (Eng)
(23) Alan Tabern (Eng) v Richie Burnett (Wal)
(6) Mervyn King (Eng) v Magnus Caris (Swe) / Dietmar Burger (Aut)
(27) Andy Smith (Eng) v Shane Tichowitsch (Aus)
(11) Gary Anderson (Sco) v Matt Padgett (Eng) / Morihiro Hashimoto (Jpn)
(22) Dennis Priestley (Eng) v Bernd Roith (Ger)
(3) Raymond van Barneveld (Ned) v Steve Hine (Eng)
(30) Barrie Bates (Wal) v Kevin McDine (Eng)
(14) Colin Osborne (Eng) v Chris Thompson (Eng)
(19) Jamie Caven (Eng) v Devon Petersen (SA) / Norman Madhoo (Guy)

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