In the end it took Daryl Gurney's best to get the better of Beau Greaves in their first-round clash as the Northern Irishman prevailed in a fifth-set decider.
Greaves showed flashes of her ability but Gurney refused to lie down and accept defeat, defying the fact he lost more legs than his opponent over a match that needed to go the distance to produce a victor.
Nathan Aspinall also begins his World Darts Championship campaign as he faces Lourence Ilagan.
Friday's matches and results:
Afternoon session
Kevin Doets 3-1 Matthew Dennant
Ryan Meikle 3-0 Jesus Salate
Mickey Mansell 2-3 Leonard Gates
(11) Josh Rock 3-1 Gemma Hayter
Evening session
William O'Connor 3-0 Krzysztof Kciuk
(22) Daryl Gurney 3-2 Beau Greaves
(15) Nathan Aspinall vs. Lourence Ilagan
Keane Barry vs. Tim Pusey
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The ever-popular Leonard Gates lit up Friday's afternoon session with a 3-2 win over Mickey Mansell, while Josh Rock was made to work hard for a spot in the second round by the impressive Gemma Hayter.
The World Darts Championship seems to get bigger ever year and this one is no different. The expanded field is competing for a share of the £5 million total prize pot which contains a £1 million cheque for the winner. It's double the amount Luke Littler pocketed for beating Michael van Gerwen in January.