• BDO World Championship

Adams limps past Mitchell

Martin Adams crossed the first hurdle at the Lakeside © PA Photos

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Martin Adams made the ideal start to the defence of his BDO World Championship with a 3-0 win over Scott Mitchell in the opening round at the Lakeside.

Mitchell came into the event with no pressure on his shoulders aware that it could be the time to catch the No. 1 seed cold, but he made a poor start and did not put Adams under any pressure.

Adams took the opening two sets without playing well and his game became somewhat scrappy in the third, as he allowed Mitchell a foothold when missing a string of darts to take the second leg.

The champion steeled himself to take the third with a brilliant 132 finish. Mitchell had a shot at the final leg, after landing the fourth, but missed double eight and Adams stepped in to clean up 56 to reach round two.

Tony O'Shea overcame the embarrassment of needing 27 darts to win the deciding leg in the opening set to run out a comfortable 3-0 winner over Steve West. O'Shea now faces ninth seed Ross Montgomery, who brushed aside Dutch painter Fabian Roosenbrand 3-1.

Scotsman Gary Stone produced the first shock of the tournament, beating fellow debutant and No. 16 seed Ron Meulenkamp 3-0.

Stone's efforts were outshone in the last match of the day though, as Steve Douglas took out fifth seed Gary Robson. Robson, a two-time quarter-finalist, never got into the match - regularly missing triple-20 as Douglas triumphed 3-0.

Darryl Fitton claimed an unwanted hat-trick in the first match of the evening session, suffering a third consecutive first-round exit - this time inflicted by Robbie Green. Fitton always looked second best against the fourth seed, who chalked up a 3-1 victory.

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