Michael van Gerwen aims to regain winning habit at Players Championship Finals

The Players Championship Finals gets underway in Minehead on Friday afternoon, with Michael van Gerwen bidding for his fifth title in six years.

The event features the top 64 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, and Van Gerwen begins the defence of his title against Matthew Edgar.

'The Green Machine' hasn't lifted a major title since the World Grand Prix, after suffering disappointment at the European Championship, World Series Finals and the recent Grand Slam of Darts.

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Van Gerwen is seeded third in Minehead this year, but he's determined to return to winning ways and claim a fourth successive title at this event.

"I want to play really well in this tournament like I always do and I am coming to win, nothing less," said Van Gerwen.

"I didn't play well in my last match but there is nothing I can do about that now. I never let the last tournament affect this one, whether I won or lost.

"It's the last big TV tournament before the Worlds so it would be nice to play really well and put a bit more fear in my opponents and I will make sure I do everything right to give myself the best chance."

Top seed Ian White kicks off his campaign against Scott Taylor, while newly-crowned Grand Slam of Darts champion Gerwyn Price meets Krzysztof Ratajski- who has triumphed three times on the Pro Tour circuit in 2018.

Two-time world champion Gary Anderson, who lost out to Price in Sunday's controversial Grand Slam final, meets the veteran Alan Tabern in his opener.

Fourth seed Peter Wright faces Spanish star Toni Alcinas, while Alcinas' World Cup partner Cristo Reyes plays world champion Rob Cross.

Fifth seed Adrian Lewis takes on debutant Adam Hunt, while James Wade begins his bid for a third major title within a month against Ross Smith - who Wade defeated en route to claiming World Series glory.

Premier League finalist Michael Smith faces Vincent van der Voort in a tasty first-round tussle, while Daryl Gurney and Robert Thornton clash in a battle of the former World Grand Prix champions.

Australian World Cup of Darts teammates Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson collide - with Anderson potentially awaiting the winner.

Jonny Clayton and Mark Webster lock horns in a battle of the Welshmen, while the tournament kicks off with an all-Dutch clash between Jeffrey de Zwaan and Jelle Klaasen.

However, world number seven Mensur Suljovic, who reached the semi-finals at last weekend's Grand Slam of Darts, has withdrawn due to family reasons.

He's been replaced by Benito van de Pas - the next non-qualified player from the Players Championship Order of Merit, who will take on former world youth champion Keegan Brown in his opener.

Attention now switches to the World Championship with 16 days of coverage, kicking off with a live preview show from Alexandra Palace at 6pm on Thursday, December 13. The draw takes place on Monday, November 26, live on Sky Sports News.

Keep up to date with the news as the tungsten enters its busiest time of year with the PDC World Championships just around the corner get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts.

Session Schedule

Friday November 23- Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Main Stage
Jeffrey de Zwaan v Jelle Klaasen
Max Hopp v Steve West
Keegan Brown v Mensur Suljovic
Adrian Lewis v Adam Hunt
Simon Whitlock v Kyle Anderson
Daryl Gurney v Robert Thornton
James Wade v Ross Smith

Stage Two
Brendan Dolan v Michael Barnard
Josh Payne v Ryan Searle
Nathan Aspinall v Martin Schindler
Gabriel Clemens v Andrew Gilding
Ryan Joyce v Steve Lennon
Mervyn King v Simon Stevenson
Stephen Bunting v Richard North
Mickey Mansell v Madars Razma
Dave Chisnall v Jamie Lewis

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Main Stage
Ian White v Scott Taylor
Gary Anderson v Alan Tabern
Rob Cross v Cristo Reyes
Krzysztof Ratajski v Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright v Toni Alcinas
Michael van Gerwen v Matthew Edgar
Michael Smith v Vincent van der Voort

Stage Two
Jermaine Wattimena v Stephen Burton
John Henderson v Joe Cullen
Jonny Clayton v Mark Webster
Ricky Evans v Jan Dekker
James Wilson v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Danny Noppert v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Chris Dobey v Ron Meulenkamp
Darren Webster v Jeffrey de Graaf
Steve Beaton v Kim Huybrechts

Saturday November 24
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Second Round
Main Stage
Gurney/Thornton v Payne/Searle
Wade/R Smith v Aspinall/Schindler
Chisnall/J Lewis v Dobey/Meulenkamp
Cross/Reyes v Joyce/Lennon
G Anderson/Tabern v Whitlock/K Anderson
Van Gerwen/Edgar v Brown/Suljovic
Wright/Alcinas v Hopp/West

Stage Two
Bunting/North v Mansell/Razma
Wilson/Van den Bergh v Clemens/Gilding
De Zwaan/Klaasen v Evans/Dekker
Wattimena/Burton v D Webster/De Graaf
White/Taylor v Dolan/Barnard
Noppert/Rodriguez v King/Stevenson
M Smith/Van der Voort v Clayton/M Webster
Beaton/Huybrechts v Henderson/Cullen
A Lewis/Hunt v Ratajski/G Price

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Third Round
Main Stage
4x Games TBC

Stage Two
4x Games TBC

Sunday November 25
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Quarter-Finals

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Final