Deta Hedman produced a spirited fightback but was unable to claim victory over Andy Boulton with 'X Factor' claiming a 3-1 victory to move through to Round Two.
ADVERTISEMENT
Boulton will now face Stephen Bunting in the second round but Hedman showed a good account of herself alongside Lisa Ashton pushing Adam Hunt all the way earlier in the tournament.
'The Heart of Darts' struggled to begin the tie with Boulton stealing the first leg after Hedman hit a 180 but squandered five darts at double.
Her average sat at 72 and Boulton sat at 1-0 up after sweeping the first set. He began to get into cruise control as he doubled his advantage without dropping a leg in the opening two sets and he headed towards the finish.
But Hedman began to ask the question by claiming her first leg and swept the third set herself to make it interesting at 2-1.
Boulton though went 2-0 up in the next set with a break of throw on double 12 and to finish it was an 11 darter on double eight with Hedman sitting on 25.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
𝘽𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙣
There will be no winning woman at this year's World Darts Championship as Andy Boulton brings an end to Deta Hedman's Ally Pally debut with a 3-1 defeat.