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Fallon Sherrock is out of the PDC World Championship after losing 3-2 to Steve Beaton in a compelling first-round match at Alexandra Palace in London.
It was an even start to the all-English match as Beaton came from two legs down to take the first set before Sherrock levelled.
Beaton took the third set but Sherrock rallied again to make it 2-2.
In the fifth set, Beaton broke Sherrock’s throw in the last leg to claim the victory.
There had been a rapturous welcome for Sherrock, 27, as she made her return to Ally Pally – two years since her record-breaking run at the 2020 World Championship where she reached the third round.
Beaton, 57, was making a record 31st consecutive World Championship appearance.
“I think that’s one of the hardest games I’ve ever had to deal with,” he said.
He will now face 32nd seed Kim Huybrechts of Belgium in the second round on Wednesday.
Sherrock, from Milton Keynes, remains the only female player to have won a match at the World Championships.
Earlier in the evening session, Martijn Kleermaker from the Netherlands beat Greece’s John Michael 3-1. In an all-German encounter, Florian Hempel threw a 156 checkout to win the opening set and a 158 checkout in the second set in his 3-0 victory over Martin Schindler.
In the afternoon session, Scotland’s Alan Soutar beat Brazil’s Diogo Portela 3-2 on his World Championship debut and will now face Mensur Suljovic on Thursday.
Sixteenth seed Stephen Bunting became the second seed to fall in the competition as he lost 3-2 by the way of the first tie-break of the tournament to fellow Englishman Ross Smith.
There were also losses for two Australian’s Gordon Mathers and Ky Smith, who were beaten 3-1 by Jason Heaver and Maik Kuivenhiven respectively.
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