PDC World Darts Championship 2021: Lisa Ashton edged out by Adam Hunt in round one
- Published
Ashton lost to Mikuru Suzuki in the 2020 BDO Women's World Championship
William Hill PDC World Darts Championship 2021 |
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Venue: Alexandra Palace, London Date: 15 December 2020 - 3 January 2021 |
Coverage: Daily reports on the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text coverage of the final on 3 January |
Four-time women's BDO world champion Lisa Ashton suffered a 3-2 first-round defeat against Adam Hunt at the PDC World Championship in London.
The 50-year-old from Bolton, who lost in round one of the 2019 event, had beaten Hunt twice this season.
A 70 finish gave her the first set but Hunt went through to face Jamie Hughes.
Deta Hedman, who denied Fallon Sherrock a place at Alexandra Palace this year, is the other female player in the event and faces Andy Boulton on Friday.
Sherrock made history in last year's event by becoming the first woman to win a match at the championship, going on to reach round three.
Playing behind closed doors as London entered tier three of coronavirus restrictions, Ashton won a high-quality opening set against 27-year-old Hunt with a bullseye finish in the deciding leg after the Chester-le-Street player missed a shot at double top.
World number 76 Hunt levelled with a 3-0 set after a 100 finish and went ahead by battling from 2-1 down to claim a scrappy third set, but Ashton forced a decider with a superb 11-dart fourth set.
But after Ashton was unable to take three darts at double eight, Hunt, who averaged 94 to his opponent's 91, sealed victory in style with a 120 checkout.
The final match of day two saw Premier League champion Glen Durrant win the first six legs as he ousted Diogo Portela 3-0.
Durrant, the 12th seed, was visibly angered by his form, but after his Brazilian-born opponent missed a dart to win the third set, the 50-year-old Middlesbrough player wrapped up victory.
In the afternoon session, Chris Dobey came from two sets down to beat Jeff Smith 3-2.
Dobey averaged 112 in the fourth set and 110 in the fifth.
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