Five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld has been knocked out of the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship by Nick Kenny in a shock upset.
In one of the most crushing Alexandra Palace defeats of his storied career, the 57-year-old Dutchman was rocked by the world no.76 in a 3-1 defeat that stunned fans.
Some 18 years since his epic sudden-death victory over Phil Taylor catapulted darts into a golden era – when he clinched the last of his world titles – father time has now seemingly caught up with Barney.
Kenny, 31, from Newport, pulled off the biggest win of his life. He burst into tears after dancing across the stage when he pinned his ninth match dart on double four.
Not since Taylor hammered him 7-1 in the final in 2009 has Van Barneveld looked so lost. While Kenny’s victory sealed his place in the world’s top 64 and a place on the PDC circuit.
Fellow Welshman Mark Webster, a former Lakeside world champion and Sky Sports pundit, said: “There high stakes on that game – he has beaten a legend of the game and you could see what it means to him.”
Former postman Van Barneveld was the oldest person in the field and he looked his age with an 84.64 average. But it wasn’t his only disappointment on the night.
Half-way through his walkout, the star’s iconic entrance tune ‘Eye of the Tiger’ suddenly stopped playing. Van Barneveld was left stood in silence before another random song came on instead.