Gary Anderson's bitter World Cup exit on his 54th birthday!

Gary Anderson's bitter World Cup exit on his 54th birthday!

In a dramatic turning point at the World Darts Championship in London, Scottish former world champion Gary Anderson experienced an unexpected exit on Sunday evening - on his birthday of all days. The two-time world champion, who many saw as the secret favorite for the title, shockingly lost 3-0 to Swede Jeffrey de Graaf in the second round. Anderson, who had considerable difficulties in his appearance, only managed to win three legs and had to struggle with a disappointing doubles rate of 15 percent. “Gary didn’t play as usual today,” noted De Graaf, who, as number 81 in the world, impressed enormously against the opposition.

“This is definitely my best year ever,” De Graaf cheered, visibly relieved, on Sky Sports. The Swedish player showed his strength and nerve throughout his game, while Anderson, known for his precision and experience, failed to show the expected performance on this special day. The loss not only has a major impact on Anderson's career, but also shows how unpredictable the sport can be, especially in such a prestigious event.

A look at the numbers

The Swedish darts player's shocking victory serves as a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in this sport. The significance of this early exit for Anderson's participation in future tournaments and his position in the world rankings remains to be seen, but the incident also shows the dynamics and unexpected progression that make darts as exciting and unpredictable as it is krone.at and linguee.com have reported.