Part joins the seeded casualties
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Your support makes all the difference.The former world champion John Part became the third seeded player to be beaten in the first round of the Stan James World Matchplay at Blackpool when he lost to Dennis Smith yesterday.
The former world champion John Part became the third seeded player to be beaten in the first round of the Stan James World Matchplay at Blackpool when he lost to Dennis Smith yesterday.
The Canadian seventh seed led 8-7 before Smith, a World Championship semi-finalist earlier this year, won the final three legs to earn a second- round meeting with the American Steve Brown.
Part joined the second seed Peter Manley and the eighth seed Keith Deller as a first-round loser. The Lancastrian Alan Warriner looked likely to join the trio but fought back from 6-2 down to beat Reg Harding 10-8, checking out on 114 to seal victory.
There was another surprise when the world No 9 and former Matchplay champion Peter Evison was knocked out by Alex Roy, who was not even supposed to be playing this week.
Roy, a late replacement for Paul Lim, who could not appear in the tournament due to immigration difficulties, took full advantage by beating Evison 10-5 in an impressive display. Roy registered a 170 out-shot - the highest possible finish in darts - which puts him in line for at least a share of the £1,000 prize for the highest checkout.
Ritchie Burnett, another former world champion, turned a 6-1 deficit into a 10-7 win against Les Fitton.
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