Michael van Gerwen was knocked out of the Premier League after failing in his win-or-bust mission in Sheffield as record-breaking Luke Littler won a sixth night.
The seven-time champion has had a miserable campaign and came into the final weekly night in the Steel City having to win to stay in contention for the play-offs.
But he fell at the first hurdle, losing 6-2 to Nathan Aspinall, whose victory saw him guarantee fourth spot and complete the line-up for next week’s play-offs at the O2 in London.
It is just the second time in 13 years that Van Gerwen, who has won the competition more than any other player, has not made the finals night.
His exit is another stark reminder that he is no longer the top dog in the sport, sitting well below Littler and Luke Humphries.
The duo met in a fifth final of the campaign as their enduring rivalry continues to dominate the sport and Littler came out on top, with a 6-3 success.
It was his sixth nightly win and he claimed a piece of history by posting a record points haul of 45 – a new high in this format of the competition.
“For myself, this is just the warm-up,” Littler said.
“It’s been tough, it’s a tough format but I’ve got myself through. I’m happy to be top.
“I’m ready for the semi-final, it’s the O2, I have won a semi-final before, I’m looking forward to it.”
The latest instalment of their match-up could well prove to be a dress rehearsal for next week’s play-off final, with both men favourites to get through their semi-finals.
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Littler will play Gerwyn Price after the Welshman threw away a 4-1 lead to lose 6-5 against Chris Dobey, which saw him slip to fourth place.
Aspinall knew that victory would book his place in the top four for the third time in his career and he delivered a good performance against the ailing Van Gerwen.
That set up a semi-final against Humphries while Chris Dobey, Rob Cross and Stephen Bunting join Van Gerwen in exiting the tournament.
