COLIN LLOYD won the opening game of the Bavaria World Darts Trophy with a 3-1 defeat of Peter Manley in Utrecht.
Lloyd reached the final at the Topic International Darts League back in May, and suggested he could go one better on his return to Holland on Saturday afternoon.
He won the opening two sets with some clinical finishing, stealing the throw in the game's opening leg before taking the second with a superb 11-darter.
Manley hit back to level the set at 2-2, with his opponent sat on 80 in both legs, before Lloyd took out 154 for the set.
Lloyd - wearing a new-look shirt (pictured) - won the second set 3-1, including a 105 checkout in the third leg, and then took out 100 to move ahead in the next.
Manley hit back to take a 2-1 lead in the set before Lloyd levelled matters when his opponent missed his doubles.
Manley also missed doubles in the deciding leg, but Lloyd was unable to get himself into a position to seal the win before the former Las Vegas Desert Classic champion finally took out double six for the set.
Lloyd bounced back with a 106 finish to open the fourth set, and moved 2-0 up when Manley again missed his chances to take the leg.
A second 180 of the game from Lloyd, followed by a 140, gave him the edge in the next leg, and he took out double four to seal the win and move into the last 16.
"I'm pleased with that," said Lloyd, who checked out 50 percent of his doubles.
"My scoring was okay and I'm happy with my finishing. I had the 154 to take the first set, with Peter on 28, which lifted my confidence and I went from there."
Top seed Gary Anderson won the afternoon's second main game 3-0 against Ted Hankey.
The afternoon's final game saw Phil Taylor meet Denmark's Brian Sorensen, with the 13-time World Champion dropping only one leg in a scintillating display.
He averaged 104.33, and twice hit six perfect darts in a leg to leave Sorensen reeling.
Taylor won the opening set 3-0, winning it with an 11 dart leg with scores of 180, 140, 165 and double eight, at the second attempt.
Scores of 177 and 180 set him on course for the nine-darter in the second set's opener, and although his seventh dart was astray he still took the leg in 11 darts.
Sorensen capitalised on missed doubles from Taylor in the next to level the set and get off the mark, but Taylor quickly took the next two legs to move 2-0 up in the match.
He added four more maximums in the third set, winning the first two legs in 14 and 13 darts with Sorensen trailing on over 200, before opening with back-to-back 180s in the third.
Once more he was wide with his seventh dart, but there was no pressure from Sorensen as he closed out the win with double four.
"I really want to win this," said Taylor afterwards. "I've come over here with a lot of practice and dedication, and that will make me more dangerous.
"I enjoyed that."
With a 20,000 Euro holiday voucher up for grabs for a nine-dart leg, Taylor admitted: "It would be nice to get one, especially with a nice prize on offer.
"I'm always trying for it but the main aim is always to win the leg. Sometimes you have to do the tougher things before you can look at nine-darters."
The evening session began with a tight contest as John Walton came from the brink of defeat against Shaun Greatbatch - who missed nine darts to win the game 3-1 before going down in the deciding set.
Ronnie Baxter came from a set down to win 3-1 against Paul Hogan in the second game of the night.
Hogan came from a leg down to win the first set 3-1, including a crucial 132 finish on the bull in the third leg to break Baxter's throw.
Baxter landed three maximums in the second set, eventually levelling the match in a deciding leg with a 44 finish.
He found his stride in the third set after Hogan took the opener, reeling off six successive legs to secure the next two sets and passage into the last 16.
Martin Atkins recovered from losing the opening two legs of his game against Scotland's Paul Hanvidge to win in straight sets.
Atkins took nine out of the next ten legs to take three sets without reply and set up a clash with Baxter on Wednesday.
Click here for Bavaria World Darts Trophy Photo Gallery
Bavaria World Darts Trophy
First Round
Saturday 2 September
Afternoon Session
Colin Lloyd 3-1 Peter Manley
Gary Anderson 3-0 Ted Hankey
Phil Taylor 3-0 Brian Sorensen
Evening Session
John Walton 3-2 Shaun Greatbatch
Ronnie Baxter 3-1 Paul Hogan
Martin Atkins 3-0 Paul Hanvidge
Click here for the Schedule of Play and full results
Photos courtesy Robert Lusing/Bavaria World Darts Trophy