BDO World Championships: Ted Hankey loses to Martin Phillips

Ted Hankey last competed at Lakeside in 2012, when he lost to Christian Kist in the semi-finals

Two-time champion Ted Hankey went out of the BDO World Championships as he lost 3-0 to Welsh 10th seed Martin Phillips in round one at Lakeside.

Hankey, who took the title in 2000 and 2009, won only one leg in the match.

His fellow Englishman Jamie Hughes, the number four seed, beat Scotland captain Ross Montgomery 3-0.

World number three Jeffrey de Graaf lost 3-2 to fellow Dutchman Richard Veenstra and was one of three seeds to exit the tournament on Monday.

Martin Atkins eased past 14th seed Pip Blackwell 3-0 in an all-English contest, while Larry Butler of the USA beat Dutch 16th seed Ryan de Vreede 3-2 to book a second-round tie with world number one Glen Durrant.

John Walton, the 2001 champion, dropped only three legs in his 3-0 preliminary-round win over Australia's Rob Modra.

In the women's draw, number four seed Aileen de Graaf defeated English teenager Casey Gallagher 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals.

Hankey's dream ends

Hankey was playing at the BDO World Championships for the first time since 2012, following a switch to the PDC circuit and a period of ill health.

Speaking after Sunday's preliminary-round win over Dave Cameron, Hankey said he had played "like a total plonker" and conceded he would have to improve to beat the vastly experienced Phillips.

Both players struggled early on - Phillips needed 26 darts to win a nervy first leg and, as Hankey continued to miss chances at doubles, the Welsh left-hander clinched the first two sets.

Hankey appeared disturbed by a section of the Lakeside audience on at least two occasions and changed the pace of his throw in a bid to find some rhythm, but it was to no avail as Phillips ran out a comfortable winner.

Key stats from day three

• Jeffrey de Graaf suffered a fourth consecutive first-round defeat and is yet to win a match at the World Championships. However, he did complete a 10-dart leg in the third set against Richard Veenstra, which is the best of the tournament so far.

• John Walton was making his first appearance at Lakeside since 2013 and was victorious at Frimley Green for the first time in five years.

• Larry Butler's World Championship debut came in January 1992, eight months before his first-round opponent Ryan de Vreede was born.

Player reaction

Richard Veenstra: "It was a great match. I'm sorry for Jeffrey but I'm happy to be in the next round. I have to book another boat home. I think I'll stay until Monday now."

John Walton: "Emotions were riding high but I just relaxed and played darts. I haven't been on the circuit for a year so nobody knows how I'm playing. I'm just enjoying myself again. I felt so relaxed."

BBC pundit Bobby George on Walton's win: "John scored well and finished well. Sometimes his finishing lets him down a little bit but today there was no messing."

Up next

England's three-time champion Martin Adams faces a difficult start to his World Championship campaign on Tuesday, with Canada's Jeff Smith his first-round opponent (13:00 GMT, live on BBC Two).

Smith lost at the semi-final stage 12 months ago and impressed in his preliminary-round win over Matthew Medhurst.

Dutch fifth seed Wesley Harms, twice a World Championship semi-finalist, and Belgium's World Trophy winner Geert de Vos are also in first-round action on Tuesday.