Pictures: Adams on fire for his Grand Slam debut in Wolverhampton

Three-time Lakeside Champion Adams turned the Wolfie-whistles of the Wolves Civic crowd to cheers with finishes of 133, 136 and 116 against number eight seed White as he kicked off Group B in style.

The 59-year-old ended his first appearance in the Grand Slam of Darts with an average of 104.82, and put himself in pole position to progress to the knockout stage with the victory.

"I really enjoyed it and I'm grateful for the win," said Adams. "I loved it out there and I like playing darts, and I've enjoyed playing more in the last 12 months than I think I ever have done.

"I was nervous this morning but I really did enjoy myself up there. Ian let me off the hook in one leg but the big finishes were nice. You miss them more than you hit them, but they were good today and went in."

Adams will now meet Jelle Klaasen in Sunday's second round-robin fixtures, after the Dutchman defeated Steve Beaton 5-4, edging a tight contest with the aid of a 180 and a 76 finish in the deciding leg.

"I think I played pretty solid so I'm happy with the win," said Klaasen. "I'm happy with the last leg and I think it was a very important win."

While Adams made a winning debut in Wolverhampton, there would be no fairytale for reigning Lakeside Champion Scott Mitchell or the ever-popular Andy Fordham, who both suffered defeats in their opening fixtures.

Mitchell averaged a strong 104.49 but went down 5-2 to Peter Wright, as the number four seed took out 130 on his way to a 3-0 lead before holding on to his advantage.

"I knew Scott was playing well but I did what I had to do, and it doesn't matter what your average is as long as you get the win," said Wright. "He's a gentleman and a worthy champion, but he missed a few doubles and I punished him."

The night's other Group D game saw Dave Chisnall win a high-quality clash against Mervyn King 5-3, despite the Norfolk thrower taking out finishes of 108 and 107 to twice lead before the 2014 finalist took the final three legs without reply.

"It's always nice to get the first win under your belt," said Chisnall. "Mervyn hit some big finishes but he let me in and I'm happy with how I played.

"It's a very tough group - but all groups are tough and you've got to play at your best to win."

Fordham, meanwhile, took the opening leg of his clash with Adrian Lewis with a 14-dart leg, kicking off the game with a 180, before the two-time World Champion hit back to win 5-2.

"Andy's not been on TV for a while but he was fantastic and showed what a champion he is," said Lewis. "I didn't know what to expect so I'm really happy to get the win."

Lewis now plays Michael Smith in their second Group C clash, with the former World Youth Champion coming from 3-2 down to defeat Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones 5-3.

"It was a very hard game but Wayne let me in - he had two darts to move 4-2 up but missed and I took my chance," said Smith. "I needed that win because I needed two points to keep my confidence going."

Reigning Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor made a determined start to his bid for a seventh Wolves Civic title in nine years as he whitewashed Martin Phillips in under 11 minutes, restricting the Welshman to just three darts at a double.

Taylor finished five doubles from seven attempts and hit three 14-dart finishes to begin his bid to win a seventh Wolverhampton title in style - despite the distraction of pre-event media comments from BDO rival Fordham.

"All these comments have motivated me," said Taylor. "Good on them, keep running me down - it's given me the fuel back that I needed to be honest.

"Martin missed a couple of doubles and that put him under pressure a little bit.

Taylor - who averaged almost 103 - now plays Robbie Green, who was a 5-3 winner against Austrian youngster Rowby-John Rodriguez, as the pair bid to remain unbeaten in Sunday's second group matches.

Taylor added: "Robbie's a good player and you've got to play well against him, but so am I and I don't care who I play now because I've got the bit between my teeth again and you're in for a battle."

Green, a former Lakeside Championship semi-finalist, had won through the PDC Qualifier a fortnight ago and led 3-0 before Rodriguez cut the gap to 4-3, but a superb 133 finish sealed the two points for the Wallasey ace.

"I'm really happy with that," said Green. "Rowby-John's a cracking little player and he's a player to respect, and he kept fighting back at me so I had to step it up another gear to stop him getting level.

"I've been finishing really well recently, and that's not really my strong point and it's something I've had to work on to improve."

PDC world number one Michael van Gerwen needed only eight minutes to record a clinical whitewash of Dutch debutant Mark Oosterhuis, book-ending the display with legs of 12 and 13 darts and ending with a 102.95 average.

"It was difficult for Mark because it was his first time on the stage," said van Gerwen. "I started off really well and my confidence was there straight away, and I did the right things at the right moments.

"I know him from Holland I'm glad that he qualified, but I'm only focusing on myself and this is a good start for me. I'm really glad that I played well and I want to show this again on Sunday now because I'm feeling good and confident.

"To win 5-0 was very important. I'm leading the table now and I want to keep it that way."

Van Gerwen now meets Kim Huybrechts in a tasty Group A clash on Sunday, with the Belgian - a semi-finalist last year - having averaged 105.92 in his impressive 5-2 win over Steve West and hit five 180s.

"I'm happy because I've been playing well lately," said Huybrechts, who dedicated the win to friend Gino Dierckx, who passed away on Friday. "You always want to win your first game because that takes a lot of pressure off you so it's a good win.

"I've been working hard on my consistency and I'm feeling really good, so bring them on!"

PDC World Champion Gary Anderson and 2012 Grand Slam of Darts champion Raymond van Barneveld also made flawless starts to their challenges with 5-0 opening victories.

Anderson took less than ten minutes to sweep aside American ace Larry Butler, the 1994 World Matchplay winner who won through the BDO Qualifier in Hull last month.

Anderson - last week's European Championship runner-up as he allowed a 10-7 lead to slip against Michael van Gerwen - took out 100 for a 12-darter to open the contest in style, hitting four 180s and allowing Butler only one dart at a double in the five legs.

"It went alright and it was a good start for me," said Anderson. "It's my favourite tournament but I usually start a bit slowly so that was on my mind, and I've never played Larry before so I was nervous.

"I'm still sick as a pig about losing to Michael but it's probably done me the world of good. It's got the fire back in my belly."

Van Barneveld, meanwhile, denied PDC Qualifier Andy Boulton a dart at a double in his 11-minute whitewash, which was sealed by back-to-back 13-darters as the five-time World Champion made a confident start.

"It's not an easy group so I'm very happy with this win and I feel confident and focused," said van Barneveld. "I've been playing some fantastic darts but other players have had great matches against me, but today I got the result.

"Andy didn't play his A-game, but my game was really good. If the self-belief is there then you see how I can play and I'm looking forward to playing Gary tomorrow because he's playing really well at the moment.

"He reached the final of the European Championship last week and he's the Premier League champion and the World Champion, so you know what you have to do. You have to play well and hopefully that's what I'm going to do tomorrow."

Welsh debutant Jonny Clayton, who came through last month's PDC Qualifier in Coventry to secure his first appearance in front of the TV cameras, defeated 2007 Wolverhampton finalist Terry Jenkins as he made a brilliant start.

Llanelli's Clayton took a 4-1 lead against the world number ten, and though Jenkins finished 110 and 80 to respond, a 180 helped the newcomer set up tops for victory in leg eight.

"To play one of the best players on the PDC circuit and come out with the win is a dream," said Clayton, who still works full-time as a plasterer. "The nerves started to come through a bit at the end but I got there.

"It's my first year on the PDC circuit and I never thought I'd get as far as a TV major in my first year, so I'm chuffed to bits. It's a dream to be honest.

"I've played in three European Tour events for me but this was a new experience, and it's so far, so good."

Clayton will now take on another former Grand Slam finalist, Robert Thornton, in Sunday's second Group G game, after the Scottish ace edged out Belgian debutant Geert De Vos 5-4.

The BDO World Trophy champion stunned Thornton with early finishes of 95 and 118 to lead 2-0, only for Thornton to take the next four and move ahead.

De Vos then finished 102 and double six to force a decider, but Thornton showed his class with a timely 180 and a 76 checkout.

"His finishing was brilliant in the early legs and he made me work for that," said Thornton.

"I didn't realise who he was when I saw his name in the draw but when I saw him at the venue I recognised him, I've seen him play and he's going to cause a few problems so it was a banana skin.

"I didn't play really well but I got away with the win, which was important. I'd like to finish top of my group, but as long as I finish in the top two I'll be very happy."

Thornton added: "I've played Jonny a few times and I know how he can play. We've both beaten each other this year and I've been on the end of what he did to Terry today. I know exactly what he can do."

2010 runner-up James Wade made a confident start to his challenge with a 5-2 defeat of Dutch debutant Michel van der Horst, one of the NDB Qualifiers.

Although the debutant took out 64 for the opening leg, Wade finished 88 on the bull to level and then took out 76, 96 and double ten for a 4-1 lead, before sealing his win with a 14-darter.

"My performance probably didn't reflect how I felt I was going to play because I was really excited about playing that match and I felt really good, so I'm happy that I won," said Wade.

"It was a funny win because he probably should have won a couple more legs. It's a solid start but my standard has to improve - the games are as tough as you make them and if I turn up and play my very best darts I'll be fine."

Wade now faces resurgent Mark Webster, who was a 5-3 winner against World Youth Champion Keegan Brown in their Group F opener.

Webster hit two 180s and a 112 checkout as he moved three legs up, with Brown cutting the gap to 4-3 with the aid of an 11-darter only to see the Welsh left-hander finish 130 for the win.

"I was nervy and winning your first game in the group is paramount, and I'm glad I've done that," said Webster.

"When he got back to 4-3 he had a bit of momentum, and for the first time in the match he was in the game but I just wanted to play a solid leg and get it won, and I did that.

"Two weeks ago I wasn't even in the Grand Slam but I don't want to come here and finish bottom; I want to progress, and what better way to test what I'm about at the minute than playing James Wade.

"I want to be playing against players like James. For the last 18 months I wasn't competing, but I am now and he'll know he's got to perform."