Raymond van Barneveld and John Part both bade farewell to the World Grand Prix after losing in Dublin on Wednesday night.
Van Barneveld and Part both lose in last 16 of World Grand Prix
World Champions Raymond van Barneveld and John Part both bade farewell to the World Grand Prix after losing their matches in Dublin on Wednesday night.
Five-times champion van Barneveld exited the New Citywest Convention Centre after losing 3-1 to Andy Smith, while three-times champion Part followed him after Brendan Dolan won by the same scoreline.
Defending tournament champion James Wade reached the quarter-finals but had to come from behind to beat Vincent van der Voort.
There was no way back for world number seven Wes Newton, though, after John Henderson beat him 3-2.
Playing in the night's third match, van Barneveld appeared lacklustre as he lost the first two sets to Smith, who won six legs without reply.
Van Barneveld got back on the scoreboard at the start of the third and took the set 3-0, finishing with a 160 checkout.
But hopes of a 'Barney' comeback proved premature. Smith broke in the leg two of the fourth set and although the Dutchman made a 130 finish before levelling, the throw was with 'The Pieman'.
He will now play Wade in the quarter-finals after he overcame a two-set deficit to beat van der Voort 3-2.
Flyer
The Dutchman is 'darts' fastest player' and he certainly got off to a flyer, breaking his opponent immediately on his way to winning the first set.
The pair traded breaks in set two but the world number 16 took it after throwing a 14-dart leg.
Van der Voort hit his first 180 at the start of the third but Wade still took it without reply and also won the next 3-1 to level.
The Dutchman found his aim again in the next and took a 2-0 lead but back came Wade, pulling a leg back with a 94 finish and then levelling after van der Voort missed 106 to win the match.
A winner-takes-all leg was the result and it went the way of Wade after he hit 68.
There was no such comeback from Newton in the night's first match, as Henderson held on to win 3-2.
Newton struggled to make doubles in key legs, with the big Scot capitalising to take a two-set lead.
The world number seven fought back to level, in spite of an awful second leg in which he needed to throw 12 darts in order to get a start.
On the brink
Henderson took himself to the brink of victory after taking a 2-0 lead in the decider. The world number 62 needed a 112 checkout to win but missed double 16.
Newton hit 32 to pull a leg back but could not recover after needing seven darts to hit a double at the start of next.
Dolan won the opening set of the night's final match on the bull. Part soon levelled, the three-times world champion taking set two 3-0, but the Northern Irishman then showed he was not overawed by responding in kind.
It got even better for Dolan, who broke at the start of the fourth and had 157 to win the match. Part pulled a leg back, but his opponent won after taking the next on the throw.
