• BDO World Championship

Champion Kist crashes out to Green

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Reigning champion Christian Kist crashed out of the BDO World Championship in the first round but the crowd at the Lakeside saw a new star in the making as Richie George, son of Bobby "Bobby Dazzler" George, won a thrilling encounter.

Dutchman Kist shocked the world last year when he beat Tony O'Shea 7-5 in the final to win his maiden crown but that achievement will have felt like a distant memory as he lost 3-1 to Robbie Green.

Fifth seed Green raced into the lead winning the first set 3-0, as he comfortably hit a 180 in the final leg while Kist squandered his chance to keep pace.

Kist settled into the second set to take it 3-1 but in the crucial third, the two were tied at 2-2 with nerves clearly getting to both players as they struggled to hit their trebles.

Yet Green was the calmer player at the oche and took the leg to set himself up for victory. He took a couple of bites at the cherry but eventually won the final set 3-1 to go through to the second round.

It took Richie George five sets and a tiebreak to overcome Dave Prins and the 23-year-old did it the hard way as he came from behind to win.

Prins, 44, made all the running and twice took the lead in sets only to be pinned back at 1-1 and 2-2. In the final set Prins had to hit double-tops to win but erred which allowed George to take the match into a tiebreak. And Bobby Dazzler's son proved his mettle and won by the necessary two clear legs.

Later in the day, Tony O'Shea's quest to improve on his runners-up finish in last year's World Championship final got off to a strong start as he swept aside English compatriot John Walton 3-0.

In the tournament's first match, Republic of Ireland's Jason Cullen recorded an impressive 3-1 victory over No. 11 seed Martin Atkins on his debut at the event. Tenth seed Gary Robson also fell when fellow Englishman Garry Thompson came from a set down to win 3-1.

Fifty-year-old Darryl Fitton put the 31-year age gap over his 19-year-old opponent Benito van de Pas to good use as he saw off the Dutchman's challenge to win in a fifth set tiebreak. Englishman Fitton had trouble hitting his doubles during the business end of the match but was far superior in nailing his trebles and will play the winner of Stephen Bunting and James Wilson in the next round.

Elsewhere, ninth seed Alan Norris comfortably saw off Hull qualifier Wayne Warren 3-1 in a clash which failed to set the pulse racing for its quality but rather more for its tense finale. Warren was 2-1 down in sets but verging on challenging for the fourth when, from a leg-winning position, he failed to hit his double twice in a row and Norris took the leg, and the win.

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