Anca Zijlstra falls in opening round again as Jun Matsuda confounds Jordan Brooks to another Lakeside loss

Anca Zijlstra once again failed to make a mark at the Women's World Championship at Lakeside. After winning one more match on her debut in 2016, Zijlstra failed to win another on the iconic darts stage in Frimley Green.

In the following two years, she lost without winning a single leg to Lorriane Winstanley (2017) and Anastasia Dobromyslova (2018). In 2022, Zijlstra was allowed to return to Lakeside, where the WDF took over the organization of the Women's World Cup since that year. Since then, she lost rather hopelessly to Priscilla Steenbergen (2-0) and Paula Murphy (2-0).

This time the Czech player was too good for the 51-year-old player from Limburg. Cisarova threw a 20-darter in the opening leg to set up a break and then took the set with a 19-darter and a 17-darter.

The Czech then opened the second set with a 19-darter. In the second leg of the second set, Zijlstra left tops, but Cisarova prevented the Dutchwoman from hitting a double with a 48 finish. Cisarova then pulled out the win with a 23-darter. The difference in averages was quite large; 77.74 versus 64.16 in favor of Cisarova, who will take on New Zealand's Desi Mercer in the second round.

On the men's side, Jun Matsuda managed to add extra sparkle to his Lakeside debut by defeating Jordan Brooks 2-1 in sets. Fans might have recognized Matsuda, as he competed for Japan at last year's World Cup of Darts at the PDC.

This gave Matsuda some stage experience. In the first set Brooks lost a 2-0 lead, but a 13-darter in the fifth leg made it 3-2 to the Englishman.

Matsuda, however, played a very solid second set. Via two 17-darters the Japanese man had a break and with a 14-darter Matsuda took the set 3-0. In set three Brooks again took a 2-0 lead, but a 76-darter and an 18-darter brought Matsuda back to 2-2. The deciding leg was then won by Matsuda with a 15-darter, who meets Brandon Weening in his next match.