Darts fans have slammed James Hurrell’s for refusing to shake the hand of his opponent at Players Championship 13 on Monday.
The world no.67 faced Polish thrower Sebastian Bialecki in the first round at the Autotron in Rosmalen, the Netherlands, with the controversial moment happening as the match finished.
X / @OfficialPDCHurrell snubbed a handshake from Bialecki at Players Championship 13[/caption]
X / @OfficialPDCBialecki came from 3-0 down to beat Hurrell 6-5[/caption]
Bialecki triumphed in a tense encounter which saw him recover from 3-0 down to win 6-5 in a last leg decider.
However, his victory was not without drama as Hurrell snubbed his opponent’s offer of a handshake after the match.
It came just moments after ‘Hillbilly’ had paused his own throw to stare down Bialecki on the oche.
The 21-year-old then went on to pin double seven to complete an 86 checkout and win the match as Hurrell waited on 87.
After he collected his darts from the board, Bialecki put his hand out towards Hurrell but was snubbed by his rival.
Instead, his beaten opponent shook the referee’s hand and pointed at Bialecki as they exchanged words.
Hurrell then stormed off as fans were left stunned by his antics on social media.
Reacting to footage of the incident, one fan commented: “Poor etiquette from Hurrell there. Shame.”
Another added: “Embarrassing from Hurrell.”
Meanwhile, a third viewer also wrote: “What a massive sore loser.”
X / @OfficialPDCHurrell turned to Bialecki in frustration during the final leg[/caption]
Commentator Dan Dawson was also confused by the exchange as he stated that Bialecki had done nothing to warrant the reaction from Hurrell.
‘The Bolt’ went on to face Cameron Menzies in the second round, with the Scot advancing with a comfortable 6-0 victory.
Bialecki is currently in his debut season on the PDC Tour having earned a tour card at the beginning of the year.
He gained his place on the ProTour through his performances on the 2024 Development Tour.
Heading into Monday’s 13th Players Championship event of the year, Bialecki found himself 97th in the PDC Order of Merit.
Meanwhile, Hurrell came through Q School last year and is now in his second season as tour card holder.
The 40-year-old also made his PDC World Darts Championship debut back in December.
However, he was beaten in the second round at Alexandra Palace by eventual runner-up Michael van Gerwen.
