World No 1 Glen Durrant comes back from a set down to defeat Nick Kenny at Lakeside
Monday 9 January 2017 12:23, UK
Tournament favourite Glen Durrant got his quest for a first BDO World Championship title up and running with a 3-1 win over spirited underdog Nick Kenny on day one at Frimley Green.
Durrant is the BDO world No 1 and is bidding to make a first final appearance, having reached the quarter-finals two years ago and the semi-finals last year.
He got his campaign up and running with a sensational 167 checkout in leg one, which delighted the crowd at the Lakeside Country Club.
However, Welshman Kenny was undaunted and reeled off the next three legs to take a surprise early lead.
That was as good as it got for Kenny though, Durrant easing through the next three sets to kick-start what could prove to be his last BDO tournament before a switch to the PDC.
In the evening session, last year's beaten finalist Jeff Smith set up a first round clash with Brian Dawson by beating Japan's Seigo Asada 3-1.
But three time runner-up Tony O'Shea failed to make it through to the second round of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year as he was beaten 3-0 by Jim Williams - the same player who knocked him out of last year's competition.
