Defending champion Joe Cullen was knocked out on a dramatic opening night at the Cazoo Masters, as 2014 winner James Wade joined former finalists Gary Anderson and Dave Chisnall in reaching round two.
Eight first-round ties took place at the Marshall Arena on Friday, with the biggest upset seeing Chris Dobey produce a classy display to claim a 6-4 victory and curtail Cullen's title defence.
Cazoo World Darts Championship quarter-finalist Dobey followed a 125 checkout on the bullseye with a 12-dart hold to move to the brink of victory, only for Cullen to reply with a nerveless 108 skin-saver. Cullen missed a dart at tops to force a decider, as Dobey kept his cool to book a last-16 meeting with Luke Humphries.
- Latest darts headlines, highlights and video
- Premier League to keep same format in 2023
- Darts in 2023: Key dates for the year ahead
"That 125 checkout changed the game," Dobey said. "Joe (Cullen) was on top early doors, but then my scoring came alive. I've been playing really well in practice, but there's been a bit of a break since the World Championship, so I was delighted with that tonight.
Gary Anderson marked his first appearance of 2023 with victory over Dimitri Van den Bergh, running out a 6-4 winner to set up a clash against Rob Cross in a battle of the former World Champions. The pair missed 33 darts at double between them, with Anderson wrapping up proceedings after the Belgian spurned three darts to force a decider.
"The doubles tonight were a little bit shaky, but I'm starting to enjoy the game again and that's the main thing," Anderson said. "It's a fresh start for me this year. I'm looking forward to playing again and there's no pressure on me, so whatever happens, happens."
Former champions Wade and Jonny Clayton will lock horns for a place in Sunday's quarter-finals, after 2014 winner Wade produced a fine display to dispatch Callan Rydz 6-2.
Ross Smith survived two match darts in his deciding-leg defeat of Damon Heta, setting up an enthralling last-16 tie against world champion Michael Smith and a repeat of October's European Championship final, while Stephen Bunting defied a spirited fightback from Nathan Aspinall to come through a last-leg shoot-out.
Two-time runner-up Chisnall produced a sensational 161 checkout to edge out Ryan Searle in a dramatic last-leg decider, having trailed 4-1 and survived five match darts, securing him a meeting against 2020 champion Peter Wright on Saturday.
Dirk van Duijvenbode came through a hard-fought clash against Krzysztof Ratajski to win 6-3, while Jose De Sousa recorded a 6-4 victory over World Championship semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens to secure a meeting with five-time winner Michael van Gerwen.
Saturday's second round will see the eight seeded stars enter the fray, as world champion Michael Smith opens his challenge against Smith in Saturday evening's headline act. There are four matches in each session, with the quarter-finals taking place on Sunday afternoon ahead of the semi-finals and final later that evening.
The PDC will announce their schedule for the 2023 Premier League season during the event, ahead of the campaign getting underway on February 2. Watch every week of the 2023 Premier League season live on Sky Sports!