World Darts Championship: Ashton bows out as crowd favorite

In a thrilling first round match, Lisa Ashton eventually fell 3-1 to two-time semifinalist Jan Dekker. Despite starting strongly, Ashton faded and Dekker took advantage right when he needed to.

To the delight of the crowd and perhaps the surprise of Dekker, Ashton made a lightning start as the Briton blitzed her way to the first set without losing a leg.

Ashton is a four-time world champion in women's darts and has had a great 2018, having won her ninth women's tournament of 2018 just last weekend. Anastasia Dobromyslova - who faces Ryan Joyce in the first round on Monday - is a three-time world champion.

With the crowd clearly on Ashton's side, Dekker struggled early on but improved dramatically to take the second as Ashton suddenly started to wobble. Sensing an opening, Dekker took advantage but, having lost five legs in a row, Ashton struck back in the third to make it 2-2. Dekker held his nerve though, sealing the second set to take a lead.

But Ashton kept battling, to the joy of the crowd and took the first leg of the third set. As was typical of the game though, Dekker leveled and then found another gear which allowed him to pull away.

This is the first time that two spaces have been reserved for women at the tournament, but this won't be the first time that a woman has competed in the PDC World Championship. In 2009, Dobromyslova became the second woman to do so – after Canada's Gayl King in 2001.