Top seed knocked out

DARTS Dave Askew, from Redhill in Surrey, came back from two sets down to beat the top seed, Steve Beaton, 3-2 in the first round of the Embassy World Championship at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green yesterday.

Beaton was also top seed last year, when he was beaten in the first round by Nick Gedney by the same score and also after winning the first two sets. Beaton, from Leamington Spa, had only himself to blame for yesterday's defeat. He threw first in the final set, won the opening leg but then lost the next three after being first to the double in each.

Rod Harrington, known as the Prince of Style because he always plays wearing a tie, beat his close friend, Peter Evison, 5-1 in the opening semi-final at the Proton Cars World Championship at Purfleet, Essex, yesterday.

Harrington, who had appeared to have gone off the boil, suddenly regained his touch to take three successive legs to win after 69 minutes play.