Scott Mitchell battles to opening win at BDO World Darts Championship
Sunday 3 January 2016 17:25, UK
Defending champion Scott Mitchell survived a scare as he claimed a 3-2 win over Craig Caldwell in his opening match at Lakeside.
'Scotty Dog', who defeated Martin Adams in last year's final, was just one set away from an early exit when he trailed 2-1 against Caldwell, but fought back to keep his title hopes alive.
Two-time champion Ted Hankey wrapped up a 3-0 win over David Cameron, despite failing to produce his best form on his return to the tournament.
The 47-year-old completed victory with a 35 checkout, but will need to raise his average from around 85 for his last 32 clash against 10th seed Martin Phillips.
In the women's competition, last year's losing finalist Fallon Sherrock suffered a surprise early exit.
The second-seeded Sherrock made a big impact 12 months ago, but the 21-year-old paid the price for poor finishing in a 2-1 defeat to Dane Ann-Louise Peters.
