Kevin Doets survived a scare to defeat Noa-Lynn van Leuven 3-1 within the first spherical of the PDC World Championship.
Doets will face 2023 champion Michael Smith subsequent after the victory towards Dutch compatriot Van Leuven, who was the primary transgender participant to compete within the event.
“It was very robust, particularly at the start. She performed higher than I did at the start. It was actually laborious,” Doets stated after coming from a set behind.
Van Leuven confirmed no nerves as she took the opening set, together with a 120 checkout, at Alexandra Palace in London.
However she misplaced the second set after lacking a number of probabilities at double with the scores at 1-1, earlier than Doets lastly sealed a rare leg on double one after 33 darts.
It proved a turning level as Doets took cost, though Van Leuven hit six 180s in all, together with two within the fourth leg of the second set earlier than lacking treble 20 when on a possible nine-darter.
Doets averaged 88.13 to his opponent’s 87.02 as he sealed his place within the second spherical.
Assessing the marathon leg, Doets informed Sky Sports activities: “Each World Championship, there’s a leg like that. I used to be unlucky to have it in the present day. It was robust. That leg and each single leg I used to be preventing, preventing, preventing.”
Commentator Dan Dawson stated: “It proved to be a little bit of a turning level as a result of if Noa-Lynn takes one in all her probabilities to win that leg, she breaks throw, she’s throwing for a 2-0 lead in units after which Kevin is basically below it.
“However inside a few minutes, he is degree within the sport, he bosses that little part of the match and that is what gave him the platform to win it.”