PDC World Darts Championship
Venue: Alexandra Palace, London Dates: 16 December-3 January
Coverage: Live on Sky Sports, reports and results on BBC Sport website

Part has won the PDC event twice

Two-time champion John Part crashed out of the PDC World Darts Championship 3-0 to Denmark's Per Laursen in London.

Canadian Part, who won the event in 2003 and 2008 to add to his 1994 BDO title, had failed to shake off illness and looked decidedly pale on stage.

Part hit seven 180s but missed numerous doubles as Laursen set up a clash with 15-time winner and Sports Personality of the Year runner-up Phil Taylor.

Wayne Jones, Robert Thornton and Wes Newton also won their round one ties.

Wolverhampton thrower Jones lost the first set against the man Part beat in the 2008 decider, Kirk Shepherd, who was only in the main draw because Australian Rob Modra failed to gain a visa in time to travel to Britain.

But 13th-ranked Jones won the next six legs to lead 2-1 and, although Shepherd took the next set to a fifth leg, his 13th-ranked opponent prevailed.

Thornton, 20th in the PDC's Order of Merit, raced into a 2-0 lead over Nigel Heydon.

But the Scotsman wasted three chances to win the fourth leg of the third before a double 10 earned Heydon his first ever set in the tournament.

Heydon grabbed the opening two legs of the fourth set, but he could not maintain his charge and Thornton fought back to level.

The 59th-ranked Heydon wasted opportunities to square the match in the fifth leg as Thornton completed his triumph on a double five.

Fifteenth seed Newton enjoyed a much easier time of it as he swept past American Darin Young 3-0.

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