PAINTER: NOT A GLOSSY WIN

KEVIN ‘The Artist’ Painter made no apologies for a sketchy performance that earned him a likely shot at Phil Taylor.

In the opening match at the world championship, Painter, 49, (right) stumbled to a 3-1 win over Jamie Caven, with a 124 checkout on the bullseye.

But he said: “I’ve had problems away from the oche, like splitting up with the missus. Hopefully, this is the start of something brighter.”