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Ipswich's Stephen Burton suffered a straight-sets defeat to Alexander Merkx in the first round of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, with Suffolk superstar Ed Sheeran watching from the crowd.
Why it matters: Burton, ranked 64th in the PDC Order of Merit, was making just his second appearance at darts' biggest tournament after exiting in the first round in 2019 following a straight sets defeat to Ryan Searle.
Match details:
Burton failed to win a single set in the 3-0 defeat and struggled with scoring throughout
Merkx, who himelf didn't play brilliantly, progresses to face Chris Dobey in round two
The background: Burton, 36, known as 'Bertie' on the circuit, qualified for the tournament through the Pro Tour Order of Merit. He combines his professional darts career with work as a self-employed window cleaner in Ipswich.
He entered the match as the bookmaker's favourite but just couldn't get going.
Star support: Global music star Ed Sheeran was among the Alexandra Palace crowd watching his fellow local.
Bottom line: Despite the disappointing result, Burton's qualification for darts' premier event represents progress for the former Debenham High School pupil, who first earned his PDC Tour Card in 2017.
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