Darts World Matchplay 2017: Gary Anderson Beats Christian Kist in Round 1

Former world champion Gary Anderson beat Christian Kist in the opening round of the 2017 BetVictor World Matchplay in Blackpool on Saturday.

The Flying Scotsman prevailed 10-7 in a difficult match against The Lipstick at the Winter Gardens.

James Wade crashed out in the first round as Darren Webster won in sudden death.

The Demolition Man prevailed 13-11 against the No. 6 seed, with Wade suffering from illness during the action, temporarily leaving the stage after he saved the contest.

No. 11 seed Michael Smith also exited the competition as Steve West won 10-5.

Peter Wright was pushed all the way by former BDO world No. 1 James Wilson, before finally winning through in the final match of the night.

Here are the latest scores and fixtures from the tournament:

Saturday, July 22—First-Round Results

Michael Smith 5-10 Steve West

James Wade 11-13 Darren Webster

Gary Anderson 10-7 Christian Kist

Peter Wright 10-8 James Wilson

Sunday, July 23—First-Round Fixtures

Jelle Klaasen vs. Justin Pipe

Robert Thornton vs. Cristo Reyes

Benito van de Pas vs. Daryl Gurney

Mensur Suljovic vs. John Henderson

Dave Chisnall vs. Mervyn King

Phil Taylor vs. Gerwyn Price

Raymond van Barneveld vs. Joe Cullen

Kim Huybrechts vs. Alan Norris

For the full tournament schedule visit the PDC's official website.

West kicked off the night with his debut win at the competition, finishing off Smith with a set of ruthless darts on the Lancashire coast.

West simply stunned his seeded opponent with a progressive game, and Bully Boy could not respond as he was caught in the headlights.

Smith had earned a 3-1 lead before the match was turned on its head, and West took control at the oche.

The 42-year-old took a 7-3 lead as his opponent crumbled, and there was no way back for Smith.

West completed a 10-5 victory and takes his place in the next stage.

PDC Darts highlighted the winning moment:

Wade became the next seed to fall as he threw away his advantage against Webster at the Winter Gardens.

The Machine had led 5-2 as Webster struggled to put his foot on the accelerator, but Wade had been affected by illness before the start.

Webster fought back to lead 8-7, but Wade dug deep to stay in the contest to make it 9-8.

The match went to sudden death as Webster pushed forward, and he missed multiple doubles as he attempted to cross the finish line.

Webster finally found the double-top finish he needed to complete a spectacular 13-11 win in a gruelling encounter.

PDC Darts once again highlighted the action as Wade missed the chance to beat his man:

Anderson was cool and calm during his first-round match with Kist, but the former world champion kept his head in front as his opponent rallied.

The Flying Scotsman had to battle after leading 5-1, but former BDO champion Kist pulled the tie back to 6-4 as the crowd became interested.

Anderson edged ahead 7-5, but Kist continued to fight against the Scottish superstar.

The Lipstick produced his best darts for many months, but Anderson was careless as he remained inconsistent.

Anderson collected victory, 10-7, as he found his most classy shots at the end of an entertaining match, per PDC Darts:

Wilson opened in style with a maximum to claim the first three legs, as Wright appeared fatigued after a hectic schedule.

Wright was off colour as Wilson produced a solid standard, and Snakebite stuttered as he attempted to fight.

Jammie Dodger kept ahead of his tiring opponent to lead 5-3, but Wright was missing doubles at an alarming rate.

There was tension around the Blackpool venue as Wright continued to fail, missing three chances to claim a leg. However, Wilson took a 6-4 lead as Wright exited the stage to take a needed break.

It was 7-5 Wilson when Snakebite broke back by pinning a double-6 to complete a 78 checkout. Although Wilson responded with a break of his own, Wright had gained the momentum he needed.

The Scot was still wayward on doubles but found the darts he needed to take the next four legs, a run capped by a superb 147 checkout. Statistics from Live Darts hinted at how Wright had escaped despite an error-strewn performance:

All of Saturday's winners can do better, and they are sure to keep eyes on how Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld perform on Sunday.