Rob Cross has issued an apology after making a lewd gesture during his shock World Darts Championship defeat at Alexandra Palace earlier in the week.
The 2018 world champion was seen imitating a sexual act to the crowd as he left the stage during his 3-1 loss to Scott Williams on Monday night.
Cross took to social media platform X to explain his actions, stating the gesture was directed at his manager to express frustration with his performance.
“I made a gesture to my manager about how annoyed I was with my performance. If it offended anyone, I apologise,” Cross wrote.
Rob Cross has issued an apology after making a lewd gesture during his shock World Darts Championship defeat at Alexandra Palace earlier in the week
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He also wished Williams good luck for the remainder of the tournament.
Cross became the latest high-profile casualty at this year’s tournament with his surprise exit.
The defeat came on a night of upsets, with fellow seeds Gian van Veen and Dave Chisnall also being eliminated.
Rob Cross was no match for Scott Williams in their World Darts Championship clash on Monday night
PA
The tournament has now seen a record-breaking 14 seeded players knocked out.
Cross expressed his disappointment following the match, writing on X: “Massively disappointed to lose out to my great friend Scott Williams.”
Williams, speaking after his victory, dismissed any controversy surrounding Cross’s gesture.
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“Firstly, I wasn’t aware of anything. Secondly, regardless of what he did, I don’t really care,” Williams said.
He emphasised the close friendship between the two players, noting they had spoken both before and after the match.
“We had a chat beforehand; we had a chat afterwards. I love him; he’s great,” Williams added.
The victor stressed their relationship would remain unchanged, saying they would see each other over Christmas and in the coming months.
Cross won his only world title during his Alexandra Palace debut nearly seven years ago.
Since then, he had struggled to progress beyond the fourth round in five consecutive World Championship appearances.
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Rob Cross has wished Scott Williams well for the future as the darts star seeks World Championship glory
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Last year marked a return to form as Cross reached the semi-finals, where he was defeated 6-2 by Luke Littler.
However, his latest early exit continues a pattern of mixed fortunes at the prestigious tournament.
The defeat to Williams adds to what has been a tournament of surprises at Alexandra Palace this year, with Littler currently the favourite to secure glory in January.