Suffolk’s Ryan Meikle was eliminated at the second round stage of the Coral UK Open on Friday afternoon, on his debut appearance in the competition.
The barber from Rendlesham was defeated 6-0 by Justin Pipe in the second round at Butlins Resort, Minehead.
Meikle had previously beaten Vincent Kamphuis, 6-3, to reach the second stage of the event.
Meanwhile, the event will be without one of the game’s stellar names, Michael van Gerwen, who has withdrawn from the tournament with a back injury.
The reigning UK Open champion had been forced to miss the Premier League’s visit to Exeter on Thursday after failing to recover from the problem.
Following further treatment in the Netherlands, Van Gerwen has been ruled out, meaning that he misses out on the chance to challenge for a third straight triumph.
Meikle tweeted after the defeat: “Fair play @Blewboy71 didn’t miss a lot, enjoyed the experience.”
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