DE GRAAF DUMPS OUT DE SOUSA! 🇸🇪 Jeffrey de Graaf continues his breakthrough run at Alexandra Palace! De Graaf produces a devastating fourth set display to wrap up a superb 3-1 victory against Jose de Sousa! 📺 bit.ly/24WCLive #WCDarts | R2
''Even got a nine darter in the warm-up room'' - Jeffrey De Graaf shocks Jose de Sousa to reach third round at the World Championships
PDCFriday, 22 December 2023 at 19:30
Jeffrey de Graaf is still undefeated as a Swede at the World Darts Championship. On Friday afternoon, the 33-year-old dart player recorded a surprising 3-1 victory over Jose de Sousa, who was seeded 25th in London.
De Graaf had participated in the World Darts Championship six times in the past as a Dutchman, but never managed to get past the first round. Since 2019, however, he has been living in Sweden with his girlfriend and since this season, De Graaf also holds Swedish citizenship.
He immediately ended his streak of no victories at the World Darts Championship. In the first round against Ritchie Edhouse, he turned an 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 victory and now former Grand Slam champion De Sousa has also been felled. ''You switch countries once and you win right away. Maybe I should have played for Sweden earlier'', he joked after his new shock in conversation with AD.nl.
De Graaf felt prior to the match that he was going to have a good day. The warm-up went great. ''I even managed to throw in a nine-darter, but yes, you want to show that on stage of course." That almost succeeded in the third set, when De Graaf started with two 180s, but a nine-darter was not achieved.
The Dutch native had traveled to London without family for the World Darts Championship, but will take some family members with him after Christmas for the next round. At least his girlfriend will cross over to England. "Haha, yeah, I think more people will come along then. We have to see if they can get time off, but at least my girlfriend gets to come along."
A tough draw awaits De Graaf in the last 32, as none other than former world champion Rob Cross will be the opponent. 'Voltage' made a shaky impression in his first match against Thibault Tricole, but eventually won the match 3-0. ''In the end, he won easily,'' De Graaf said. ''But he will have to throw better. I assume he will. Actually I have to be extra careful because of that."
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- Am not outraged and as said above i dont like anyone from any country doing it to anyone from any country. Whoever is going for a double should have best of order.Mysstree17-11-2024
- Say what? It happens in other countries; Littler in January - this year (Holland), go and watch the evidence on YouTube. If it is going to be done to English players, then we are more than entitled to dish the same back when players face off in England. When it happened to Littler in Holland in January... where was your outrage then? ABE attitude.MrYnyslas197117-11-2024
- I dont like individuals or crowds trying to put any player off when they are trying to check out, how anyone can think its okay for the crowd to whistle or shout as someone is throwing for a double is beyond me but it does seem to have become part and parcel of the modern game. I no longer play now, darts is as good as dead at a local level round my way but when i did play many years ago, no matter how intense the rivalry you never shouted out or whistled when an opponent from the other team was throwing for a double.Mysstree17-11-2024
- The pundits glossing over the other factor at play in that match. They appear to be somewhat constrained in what they can say publicly.
UndartedWaters16-11-2024 - So, you don't like Littler, then? I was cheering him on, being a fellow Englishman. Honestly, some of us get far too offended nowadays. If you want to see crowd passion... watch a match when German and Dutch players face off... that can be just as bad if not worse for crowd noises. It happens, I have watched and heard Littler being jeered - Dirk van Duijvenbode in Holland, January this year. Where was your outrage then? Yes, I can clearly see what is going on here.MrYnyslas197116-11-2024