Mark McGeeney through to second round at BDO World Darts Championship
Lisa Ashton suffers shock exit at the hands of Japanese sensation Mikuru Suzuki
Sunday 6 January 2019 17:41, UK
Top seed Mark McGeeney advanced to the second round of the BDO World Championship with a 3-1 win over Holland's Derk Telnekes on the opening day of action at Lakeside.
McGeeney, who lost to Glen Durrant in last year's final, will face Conan Whitehead in the last 16 after Whitehead won a tie-break leg to edge past Martin Phillips 3-2.
Fourth seed Wesley Harms overcame a spirited display from veteran Tony O'Shea to reach the second round, a vital checkout of 83 on the bull helping Harms to secure a 3-2 win over crowd favourite O'Shea, who missed last year's event due to knee replacement surgery.
In the women's event, Lisa Ashton's hopes of winning a fifth title in six years came to a shock end as she lost 2-0 to Japan's Mikuru Suzuki.
Suzuki will face Holland's Sharon Prins in the second round after Prins hit a 156 checkout in the first leg of her 2-0 win over England's Roz Bulmer.
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