STUART Kellett succumbed to opponents ranked inside the world’s top 10 during the opening Players’ Championship tournaments of the year in Barnsley at the weekend.
The Northwich ace thrower eased past Mark Walsh (6-3) on Saturday before bowing out in the second round against UK Open runner-up Peter Wright (4-6).
On Sunday, the 33-year-old saw off Steve Hine (6-1) before a 6-3 reverse against former Premier League star Simon Whitlock.
Kellett ended a sequence of four defeats against Paul Nicholson (6-4) in a qualifier for the Dutch Masters at the same venue on Friday, only to miss out on a place at the finals in June after losing a deciding leg against newcomer Nathan Aspinall (5-6).
Meanwhile a 6-3 defeat against eighth seed Darren Webster ended early his involvement in a qualifier for the German Masters.
He will return to Yorkshire next month for the next three Players’ Championship events.
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