Michael van Gerwen handed out a 5-1 defeat to Fallon Sherrock on day one of the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
Sherrock, who qualified for the tournament by winning the PDC Women's Series, struggled in the Group G clash, but did throw three 180s.
It was not enough to trouble Van Gerwen, who averaged 101.3 on his way to an emphatic victory on a night where defending champion Michel Smith won comfortable, while Peter Wright lost 5-1 to Stowe Buntz.
Smith had beat Nathan Aspinall in last year’s final to taste success at Aldersley Leisure Village and won 5-2 against Nathan Girvan in Group A.
James Wade, who made the final of the European Championship last month in Dortmund, went down 5-4 to Krzysztof Ratajski in the other group clash.
Jonny Clayton and Josh Rock claimed 5-2 victories over Berry van Peer and Chris Dobey respectively in Group B.
Elsewhere, world number four Luke Humphries beat Carlow native Steve Lennon by a 5-2 score and Gerwyn Price opened his account at the tournament with a 5-1 win over Nathan Rafferty in Group D.
European Championship winner Wright struggled to an opening-day loss in Group E to American Buntz, who averaged 102.28 and qualified after triumphing in the CDC Continental Cup.
While Sherrock failed to throw her best darts against Van Gerwen, 19-year-old Beau Greaves pushed 2022 runner-up Aspinall close in a 5-4 defeat in Group H.
Greaves nailed five maximums and was able to check-out 124, but Aspinall held his nerve to edge the nine-leg thriller.
