SIMON WHITLOCK HIT a 127 checkout to book his place in the PDC World Darts Championship second round at the expense of Martin Schindler last night.
Whitlock – the 2010 runner-up at Alexandra Palace – is enjoying something of a revival this year and eased through the first round with a 3-1 victory over a spirited Schindler.
That is not to say that either man was dominant, though, with a comical period of play at the start of the third set where both players struggled to hit double one.
Eventually Schindler did, but it could not spark a revival as 10th seed Whitlock set up a clash with either Darren Webster or Devon Petersen.
Michael Smith is also through after averaging 92.63 against Steve Lennon, but the 13th seed did not have it all his own way as he was taken to a deciding set.
Lennon battled back from 2-0 down only to see Smith find his composure and secure a 3-2 win.
The two seeds are joined in the next round by Justin Pipe, who earned a narrow 3-2 win over qualifier Bernie Smith to set up a second-round clash with Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.
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