Tom Bissell knocked Joe Cullen out of the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel with a 6-5 first-round win decided in the final leg.
The result denied Cullen a chance to add points to his European Championship qualification total during the Swiss tournament.
Cullen arrived in Basel as the closest challenger to Stephen Bunting, who occupied 32nd place in the provisional qualification standings.
The defeat increases the pressure on Cullen as the European Tour qualification campaign nears its closing stages.
The Swiss Darts Trophy is the penultimate event in the race, leaving the Dutch Darts Championship as another remaining opportunity.
Cullen's loss does not confirm his elimination from qualification contention, and his position can still shift before the remaining events are completed.
Bissell Advances to Face Schindler
Bissell's victory secured him a second-round meeting with Martin Schindler on Saturday.
Other first-round results in Basel saw Cameron Menzies lose 6-4 to Cristo Reyes.
Bradley Brooks defeated Niels Zonneveld 6-4, while William O'Connor beat Jani Haavisto 6-1.
Mensur Suljović, Karel Sedláček and Niko Springer also advanced from their opening matches.
