By Alex Moss
7 JANUARY 2017 • 5:30PM
BDO number one Glen Durrant began his latest bid to win a first BDO World Championship title with a 3-1 victory over Nick Kenny at Lakeside.
Top seed Durrant came from a set behind in his triumph over debutant Kenny, averaging 96.96 and hitting three 180s to book his place in the second round.
Durrant got the 40th staging of the Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship underway in style, firing in a 167 checkout to break the Kenny throw in the opening leg of the first round match.
But Welshman Kenny hit back with three legs on the spin to clinch the first set, including an 80 checkout to break his opponent’s throw in the fourth leg.
Durrant, the reigning Winmau World Masters and Finder Darts Masters champion, stormed into a 2-0 lead in the second set, before pouncing on missed doubles from Kenny to win the set 3-1 and level the match up.
Kenny held throw with double 10 at the start of the third set, but crucially spurned darts at doubles to go 2-0 up, and Durrant punished the International Open champion by reeling off three consecutive legs to take a 2-1 lead in sets.
The tournament favourite checked out 84 for a 2-0 lead in the fourth set, and the pair shared the next two legs as Durrant progressed into the last 16 as a 3-1 winner.
“First of all I want to thank Nick Kenny,” Durrant told Channel 4 after winning his first round game. “I thought that was an absolutely terrific game.
“It’s just what I needed in the first round and it was as tough a game as I’ve had on that stage.
“I’m a great front runner. Apart from the Scott Waites game last year (lost 5-4 after leading 4-2) if I get in front I win.
“If someone is going to beat me they are going to have to average 100.”
Trina Gulliver started the defence of her ladies world title with a hard-fought 2-0 win over debutant Claire Brookin this afternoon.
The defending champion, who won her 10th world title at Lakeside last year, won the first set in a deciding leg after battling back from 2-1 down.
And after Brookin took the first leg of the second set, Gulliver fought back again and won three legs in a row to complete a straight sets win.
Newcastle’s Ryan Joyce enjoyed a dream Lakeside debut as he defeated Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson 3-0 to set up a first round clash with three-time world champion Martin Adams tomorrow afternoon.
Joyce averaged 90.18 and hit three 180s, one of which helped him to a 10-dart leg, to come out on top in the first preliminary round game of the tournament.
World Trophy champion Darryl Fitton dropped just two legs as he recorded a 3-0 first round win over Dutch debutant Wouter Vaes in the last game of the afternoon.
The former Lakeside semi-finalist won the first five legs of the match to lead 1-0 in sets and 2-0 in legs, before Vaes clinched back-to-back legs to force a decider in the second set.
Fitton checked out 92 for a 15 darter to clinch the second set, and then won the third set in three legs to secure his place in the last 16.
Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship
Saturday January 7
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Glen Durrant (1) 3-1 Nick Kenny
Trina Gulliver (6) 2-0 Claire Brookin
Dennis Nilsson 0-3 Ryan Joyce (P)
Darryl Fitton (10) 3-0 Wouter Vaes
Click here for the latest results, updated draw and order of play
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