We’ve got a Carlow man in the second round of the 2019 World Championships.
Steve Lennon safely navigated his way through his opening match against Australia’s James Bailey with a 3-0 victory on Tuesday night.
Opening up the evening session, Lennon proved himself to be a class above as he enjoyed a match-high 112 checkout and threw the only two maximums en route to an impressive, if not always one-sided, win at Alexandra Palace.
It wasn’t a classic by any means but Lennon won’t worry about that as he has that crucial first win under his belt.
Lennon won all three sets and the early signs suggested that it was going to be a straightforward night’s work for the Carlow player although his evening was not without its nail-biting moments.
LENNON INTO ROUND TWO#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/PbwwxFBdBd
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 18, 2018
The second set was nervier than it ought to be as Lennon allowed his opponent back into the contest by failing to take advantage of seven attempts at a double but he steadied the ship and pushed into a cushy lead.
After being criticised by commentator Wayne Mardle for his attempted route to a 25 finish in the fifth leg, Lennon proved the multi-time World Championship semi-finalist wrong by following a five with a double-10 in his very next trip to the oche.
Lennon may well have been guilty of celebrating too early as he struggled over some routine finishes to close out the match but he eased any lingering doubts by taking advantage of his throw to coast into the second round.
With a PDC ranking of 38 going into the match, Lennon can expect a healthy boost up the rankings with Tuesday’s win and while you can’t criticise a player for winning in straight sets, he will have to significantly improve if he has any chance of advancing into the latter stages of the tournament.
