Two-time champion Gary Anderson had a 54th birthday to forget at the PDC World Darts Championship, suffering a stunning second-round defeat to Dutch underdog Jeffrey de Graaf. The Scot, who claimed the title in 2015 and 2016, was whitewashed 3-0 in his opening match, marking the first time he’s been eliminated in his tournament opener.
Anderson struggled throughout, landing just three of his 20 checkout attempts. His exit was the most high-profile shock on a day of upsets at London’s Alexandra Palace, with fellow seeded players Ross Smith, Martin Schindler, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Ritchie Edhouse also bowing out.
De Graaf’s Stunning Upset
Jeffrey de Graaf capitalized on Anderson’s faltering form with a clinical 75% checkout rate, starting his match with an 11-dart finish. Reflecting on his victory, De Graaf said:
“It’s great. Gary didn’t really show up as he usually does, but I am very happy with the win. I was very nervous after the first set, and even when I was 2-0 up, I was thinking, ‘What’s going on now?’ You could see that with a few of my missed darts, but I’m happy I got through in the end.”
Drama with Joe Cullen
Meanwhile, 2022 Masters champion Joe Cullen made headlines for storming out of his post-match press conference following a 3-0 victory over Wessel Nijman. Cullen, who will face 2021 champion Gerwyn Price in the next round, expressed frustration with perceived disrespect from the media.
In terse remarks backstage, Cullen said:
“I think the way I’ve been treated, probably with the media and things like that – I know you guys have no control over the bookies – I’ve been shown no respect, so I won’t be showing any respect to any of you guys tonight. I’m going to go home. Cheers.”
Ian White Sets Up Clash with Luke Littler
Veteran Ian White joked about his next opponent, 17-year-old Luke Littler, after battling back to defeat 29th-seed Ritchie Edhouse 3-1. Born in the same Cheshire town as Littler, White quipped:
“Yeah, Runcorn’s No. 2. I’m from Runcorn and I’m No. 1! Hopefully, it will be a better game than what I played tonight.
“You want to cause an upset; you’re going to be the underdog, but I’m all for it. Luke Littler’s done everything for this sport over the last two years, so bring it on.”
Other Notable Matches
- Paolo Nebrida’s Big Moment: Filipino qualifier Paolo Nebrida achieved the biggest win of his career by stunning former European champion and 19th seed Ross Smith 3-0. Nebrida now faces De Graaf in the next round.
- Madars Razma’s Upset: Latvian Madars Razma ousted Dutch 25th seed Dirk van Duijvenbode with a 3-1 victory.
- Callan Rydz Dominates: Germany’s No. 1, Martin Schindler, missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish and fell 3-0 to Callan Rydz.
- Ryan Searle’s Strong Start: Ryan Searle opened with a 10-dart finish on his way to a commanding 3-0 win over Canadian Matt Campbell.
The day’s results underscored the unpredictability of this year’s championship, with unseeded players making their mark against some of the tournament’s biggest names.
