Darts champion Andy Fordham was forced to withdraw from the clash of the world champions after suffering an asthma attack during the game.
Phil Taylor won the clash of the world champions by default when Andy Fordham withdrew suffering from heat exhaustion.
Professional Darts Corporation legend Taylor, an 11-time world champion, was leading 5-2 in the best-of-15 sets contest dubbed 'The Showdown'.
British Darts Organisation champion Fordham, nicknamed 'The Viking', toiled under the heat of the television lights at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet.
He asked to take a break at the end of the seventh set and did not return to the stage.
He was given first aid treatment at the venue before his wife and other family members drove him home.
Circus Tavern general manager Peter Roue said Fordham had looked increasingly unwell under the heat of the television camera lights before suffering an asthma attack.
Taylor, an 11-time world champion, said: "I am absolutely devastated, not just for myself but for the people who have paid all the money and also for the people sitting out there waiting.
"We are in a job where we are under a lot of pressure and when you are on that stage your heart's pumping, your adrenaline's going and you don't know what's going to happen.
"I was worried there Andy was not going to pull through. I was really worried about him because I turned round and he didn't look very well. I'm thinking 'Oh crikey, I'm going to kill him here'."
