Luke Humphries called out James Wade in a now-deleted post after losing to him in the quarter-finals of the UK Open on Sunday.
World number one Humphries lost a thrilling clash 10-9 to Wade, who then went on to thrash Josh Rock 11-2 to reach his first TV final since 2023.
Humphries edged out Wade in the averages with his 102 in comparison to Wade's 99, but 'The Machine' produced a superb checkout percentage of 52.5 per cent which proved pivotal.
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There was a flash point during the game, however, as the pair did not shake hands as is usually customary before the deciding leg.
There was also a brief and abrupt handshake between both players at the end after Wade pinned double 20 to win.
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And during their pre-match exchange, Wade licked the ear of his opponent.
The pair appear to have a mixed relationship, but Wade did launch a defence of the 2024 world champion in October by calling him 'one of the greatest world champions the sport has ever seen'.
But Humphries seemingly wasn't impressed by 'The Machine' during their quarter-final clash in Minehead.
Taking to Twitter in what is a now-deleted post, 'Cool Hand Luke' wrote in a reply to a fan: "Everyone loves to see people be a bad loser but I'm generally one of the best losers in the sport.
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"I wasn't going to give someone who didn't deserve my respect after what he was doing through the game a hug and be all happy about it that's just my honesty."
It is unclear as to which specific moment Humphries was referring to.
Wade, meanwhile, told ITV Sport after the match: "Really, really grateful to win the game. Deserved it as well, I think.
"I was probably a bit little weak towards the beginning and missed opportunities. Towards the end, I was a bit grateful that Luke missed opportunities and opened the door for me.
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"I'm really, really happy. Playing Luke, who is the best darts player in the world at the moment. Luckily I move onwards, and Luke doesn't. But Luke will win probably another two or three TV majors this year."
Topics: Darts
Ryan Smart