JAMES WADE 3-1 PETRI KORTE

JAMES WADE was made to sweat before overcoming the challenge of Petri Kotre with a four-set triumph in the first round the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.

Wade looked on course for a routine straight-sets victory when he took six of the first seven legs in the game to open up a 2-0 lead.

However, the Finnish qualifier won the third set 3-1 and hit two ton-plus finishes to lead in the fourth, but paid for two missed darts to level the match before Wade pounced with three straight legs to record the win.

"I'm very relieved to have closed the game out in the fourth set ," said the world number three. "I shouldn't have let myself get into that situation but Petri took out some excellent checkouts.

"I'm still yet to find my feet in this tournament, but if I can a lot of people will be in trouble and I'd be a contender for the title."

The number three seed hit double top to win the first leg and then broke his opponent's throw comfortably to take the second.

The first set was won in the third leg when the reigning UK Open champion took out 88, before Korte hit double 18 to win his first leg of the match at the start of the second.

Wade took the second leg before producing an eye-catching 95 finish on the bull to win the next after Korte had hit the first 180 of the game.

The Finnish player hit another maximum in the fourth leg but Wade took it with a 70 finish to double his lead.

Korte hit his third 180 of the match at the start of set three, and won the first leg against the darts by taking out 71 in two-darts.

Korte also took the second by converting a 76 finish before Wade took the third leg by hitting double ten.

The fourth leg saw Wade hit his first 180 of the contest, but a missed dart at double top proved costly as Korte stepped up to take out 94 in two darts to win the set in excellent fashion.

Korte continued his excellent form at the start of the fourth set to take the first two legs, with the aid of 112 and 106 checkouts.

Korte missed two darts at double 18 in the next leg to win the set, and Wade managed to hit double five to hit back.

Wade hit double top to win the fourth and then closed out the game in clinical style with a 115 checkout to set up a tasty second round game with Jelle Klaasen on Friday.