Ryan Meikle held off a spirited fightback from Fallon Sherrock to set up a second-round clash with Luke Littler while Rashad Sweeting became a cult hero.
Sherrock, who became the first female player to win a match in the tournament in December 2019, won the first set and fought back from 2-1 down to force a decider at Alexandra Palace.
The 30-year-old then narrowly missed the bull to take out 170 in the fourth leg before left-hander Meikle held his nerve to hit double 18 for a 96 finish to seal a hard-fought win.
“I felt good coming into the match and then the first leg I missed a few darts and all of a sudden Fallen went out and I was on the back foot and before I knew it she won the first set,” Meikle told Sky Sports.
“I felt under pressure from the start and just to come through that I feel unbelievable. At 2-1 up I thought I was in control and before I knew it, it was 2-2 and I thought ‘I’m not in control now’.
“Obviously the crowd want Fallon [to win], the atmosphere is unbelievable. Fallon is so good, so I am so happy to come through that.”
Speaking about Saturday night’s second-round match with teenage star Littler, Meikle added: “For me it’s an unbelievable prize.
“To play Luke Littler on this stage here, it’s the biggest stage of them all. I’m so happy. I’m not going to say I’m going to win, but I can’t wait to play him.”
Jeffrey de Graaf defeated Sweeting earlier in the night but the beaten debutant from Bahamas lit up the Alexandra Palace with a sensational 180 that made a fan's dream come true.
Sweeting had yet to throw a 180 on the biggest stage of all and with his score on 194 in the fifth leg of the second set, he threw two treble 20s before stepping away to contemplate whether he should go for the maximum or leaving himself a more preferable double.
With the crowd urging him to go for it, Sweeting fired his third dart into the treble 20 bed to bring up the 100th 180 of the tournament before entertaining everyone further with the Cold Palmer celebration.
It emerged that a fan had asked him to imitate the Chelsea and England star if he managed to hit a maximum, and true to his word, he did.
First 180 on the World Champs stage followed by the Cold Palmer celebration 🧊😂
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2024
Who cares if it leaves double seven... An Ally Pally legend is born in Rashad Sweeting 🇧🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/1DPynnbfps
A man of his word. 🧊🥶 https://t.co/xbQ3JAdrqe pic.twitter.com/MuIfXYeGMd
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2024
Rashad Sweeting you are my hero 🐐🎯#Darts #WorldChampionships pic.twitter.com/7kvKNoKdlS
— Reece Clifford (@ReeceClifford99) December 17, 2024
Elsewhere Peter Wright avoided a huge scare against Wesley Plaisier while Ricardo Pietreczko whitewashed Xiaochen Zong 3-0.
In the afternoon session, Noa-Lynn van Leuven was left to rue what might have been.
Van Leuven became the first transgender player to compete on the Alexandra Palace stage and she held her own in a 3-1 loss to Kevin Doets.
The Dutchwoman, who transitioned in 2021, will leave with regrets over the third leg of the second set as she wasted an incredible chance to break Doets’ throw and then have the darts for a 2-0 lead.
But she could not take out 68 points in 18 attempts, with her compatriot eventually winning the leg in 33 darts.
Doets set up a second-round rematch with Michael Smith, who beat him in a final-leg decider in the same stage of last year’s tournament.
James Hurrell’s Ally Pally debut ended better as he beat Jim Long 3-0 to set up a Friday night showdown with three-time champion Michael van Gerwen.
“It’s amazing, the whole thing I was thinking throughout the game was to play Michael van Gerwen on Friday,” he said.
“It’s a massive challenge, it is so good, I cannot wait.”
Mike De Decker crashed out to Luke Woodhouse in the second round.
De Decker, seeded 24, was an outside bet to make a title challenge after a breakthrough year which saw him win the World Grand Prix in October.
But he lost 3-1 to Woodhouse, who made it through to the third round for the second time.
“The win is incredible. I have only got through the second round once so I am happy,” he said in his on-stage interview.
“I need to come out and stay consistent. I was fortunate Mike wasn’t on it, we’ll see what happens after Christmas.”
Elsewhere, Ryan Joyce beat Darius Labanauskas 3-1.
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