LONDON -- After another year of ups, downs and in-betweens, the darting world has descended on Alexandra Palace for another dose of world championship drama -- and you can follow it live with ESPN.
After capturing his first title in January, Luke Littler is looking to become the first man to go back-to-back since Gary Anderson defended his crown 10 years ago.
Former champion Michael Smith made no mistake in his meeting with four-time women's champion Lisa Ashton as 'Bully Boy' moved through the gears after a slow start to book his place in the second round.
Thursday's results:
Kim Huybrechts 1 - 3 Arno Merk
(28) Michael Smith 3 - 0 Lisa Ashton
(1) Luke Littler vs. Darius Labanauskas
Madars Razma vs. Jamai van den Herik
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The world championship seems to get bigger every year and this one is no different. An expanded 128-player field is competing for a share of the £5 million total prize pot from which the winner will take home an eye-popping £1 million - double the amount won by Littler last year.
There are also five women due to the oche over the course of the first round - also a record - and Ashton is first up against Smith. Littler is the red-hot favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy come Jan. 3, followed by Luke Humphries and relative newcomer Gian van Veen.