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MICHAEL SMITH had a stunning departure from Ally Pally during a thrilling match, shattering his darts ambitions for 2025.
Bully Boy, 34, was the reigning world champion two years ago and came to defend a substantial £500,000 prize fund linked to his name in the PDC Order of Merit.
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However, his ranking is set to take a hit, possibly pushing him out of the top 16, after he faced a 3-2 defeat against Kevin Doets in a high-stakes match of the tournament.
As the current world No.2, this marks one of the most significant drops in recent history, which could negatively affect his confidence heading into next season.
This Christmas Day is likely to be a somber occasion in the Smith household following his second-round exit, which represents his first defeat at this stage since 2020.
For this early exit, Smith will take home just £15,000, resulting in an astonishing £485,000 drop in his ranking when the New Year adjustments are made.
Kevin Doets, 26, ranked No.51 in the world, had previously lost to Smith at this same stage last year with a 3-2 scoreline, but he has now avenged that defeat, much to the delight of his devoted mother, seen in the Game of Throws documentary.
In their last encounter, Smith had vented his frustration, feeling that Doets was trying to showboat on the oche.
Despite facing bounce-outs, Doets kept his cool, ultimately clinching the victory on his fourth match dart.
In a nail-biting finish, he executed a remarkable Bullseye finish on 90 during the ninth leg of the fifth set.
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Doets remarked: “I can’t wrap my head around this. This match felt surreal. The final set was incredible.
“Last year, I won the bull backstage but lost 3-2. This year, he won the bull and I knew I could take it.
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“This has been the most nerve-wracking game of my life. Absolutely! I believed that if I stayed focused, I wouldn’t lose. It was so close.
“Coming through this match means everything to me.”
In other results from the evening, Welshman Nick Kenny achieved a 3-0 win against American Stowe Buntz, highlighted by a stunning 170 finish on the Bull.
Last year’s semi-finalist Scott Williams overcame German Niko Springer with a solid 3-1 victory, maintaining an average of 96.24.
