LISA Ashton sailed into the second round of the BDO World Championships following a comfortable straight sets victory over Dutch opponent Sharon Prins.

The Boltonian went into the match at the Lakeside against the world number nine expecting a tough battle.

And so it proved in the opening set as the two women traded legs before Ashton, aged 46, won a tense decider to take it 3-2.

The second set was more of a formality as the Johnson Fold grandmother rekindled the form that took her to back-to-back world titles in 2014 and 2015. Ashton put in a brilliant 12-dart finish to win the second leg before wrapping up the set 3-0.

She now goes into the last eight on a high, eager to wipe the memory of her quarter-final defeat in last year’s tournament.