RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD held off the challenge of Andy Jenkins with a 6-4 first round win in the coral.co.uk Players Championship.
Van Barneveld, seeded tenth for the event after what was by his standards a disappointing season in Players Championships last year, will now take on Andy Smith in the last 16.
The Dutch ace had not played since reaching the World Championship final, but continued the form he showed at Alexandra Palace to progress.
Jenkins opened up an early lead by converting an 80 finish after the Dutchman missed two darts at double 16 to break.
Van Barneveld, returning to the scene of his 2007 World Championship triumph, took the second leg to level and then took the lead in the next, which included six perfect darts with back-to-back 180s.
Jenkins levelled the game again at 2-2 with a three-dart 84 finish, but van Barneveld regained the lead with an 81 checkout to break his opponent's throw for the second time in the match.
The world number three had a dart at double eight to go 4-2 ahead after the break, but was off-target and Jenkins squared the game once again on the same bed.
Van Barneveld broke throw once again to move 4-3 ahead, and then won the eighth leg to go one leg away from the winning line.
Jenkins kept the game alive in the next by landing double three with his last dart, but a missed bullseye to ensure a decider proved costly as van Barneveld hit double ten to record victory.
"I've known Andy for years and know what he can do and it was a strange game which I'm very happy to win," said van Barneveld.
"I'm still undefeated at the Circus Tavern, which is great, but Andy Smith played really well in the first round and I look forward to playing him on Saturday."
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