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 was made to work hard for his spot in the second in his clash with Lourence Ilagan. The Asp eventually secured his victory with a blockbuster 170 finish.
Friday's matches and results:
Afternoon session
Evening session
- Beau Greaves has beaten Luke Littler - but can she live up to the hype?
- Dom Taylor withdrawn from World Darts Championship after failing second drugs test
- World Darts Championship 2026: Results, schedule, how to watch, more
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.