Darts legend Raymond van Barneveld suffered a demoralising defeat in the first round of the World Championship at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday that will raise questions about his future in the sport.
Van Barneveld, appearing in his record-equaling 33rd worlds campaign, suffered a first-round exit thanks to a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland's Stefan Bellmont.
Bellmont was ruthless on Wednesday evening, at one point winning eight consecutive legs in a dominant display.
It was a first victory at Alexandra Palace for Bellmont, as well as a first world championship win by a Swiss player.
The night started positively for van Barneveld who held throw to take the opening leg.
However, he would go on to lose the next eight as Bellmont built a commanding two-set lead.
The former champion had the higher average throughout the match (92.5 vs. 91.36) but struggled when it came to the clutch throws.
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Bellmont had a higher double percentage and checkout success rate (39.1% vs. 25%) as he cashed in on van Barneveld's struggles.
The Dutchman did win one final leg in the last set but that was merely a case of delaying the inevitable, Bellmont recovering from three missed match darts to hold throw and secure a 3-0 whitewash.
Van Barneveld, 58, is likely to face questions on his future in the sport after a disappointing display against the world number 111.
Meanwhile, in the penultimate match of Wednesday's action, James Wade comfortably saw off Ryusei Azemoto of Japan.
Wade lost just one leg on his way to a dominant 3-0 first-round victory.
He will go on to face Ricky Evans in the next stage of the competition.
Elsewhere, American Adam Sevada beat Matt Campbell of Canada 3-1 and Martin Schindler secured safe passage with a 3-1 win over Stephen Burton.