PDC World Darts Championship day 1 report: Gary Anderson and Peter Wright claim routine victories on opening night

The reigning champion enjoyed a straight sets wins over qualifier Andy Boulton

Gary Anderson celebrates victory over qualifier Andy Boulton (Getty Images)

Gary Anderson kicked off the defence of his PDC World Championship title in blistering fashion against Andy Boulton at Alexandra Palace.

'The Flying Scotsman' hit a 180 straight away, clinching the first leg in just 11 darts, and averaged 99.55 as he won 3-0 and only dropped two legs along the way.

Boulton, who earned the right to face Anderson by coming through a qualifier, could not match the intensity of the 44-year-old Scot.

Despite winning so emphatically, Anderson revealed afterwards that he was feeling the nerves beforehand and he was pushed all the way in the final set.

"I've never been so nervous in anything. I always get nervous before I play darts but tonight, first night, made it so much harder," he said on Sky Sports 2. "I started off well, but fell away a bit at the end there."

Anderson will now face Daryl Gurney on Boxing Day after he edged Jamie Lewis 3-1 earlier on.

"I can have a nice Christmas now. If I'd have lost that I'd have had a terrible Christmas. It'll be nice to get a few days off," Anderson added.

"Daryl's been playing well in the last six months, he beat me at Minehead, so it'll be a good game."

Peter 'Snakebite' Wright, who reached the final in 2014, opened his bid this time around with a confident 3-0 win over Keegan Brown.

Wright averaged an impressive 95.91 and - although he squandered a double eight to give Brown some hope in the final set - he soon wrapped up a routine win.

The 45-year-old Scot explained afterwards that he frequently offers advice to Brown and said it just was not his opponent's night.

"It would have been a lot better game if he'd hit his doubles," he said. "He's a fantastic player but it didn't happen for him today and I got away with it and I took it."

Results

Thursday December 17 (7pm-11pm)
1x Preliminary Round, 3x First Round

Andy Boulton 2-1 Per Laursen
Jamie Lewis 1-3 Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright 3-0 Keegan Brown
Gary Anderson 3-0 Andy Boulton

PA