"I just laughed when the draw came out": Josh Rock describes Ross Smith World Matchplay draw as hilarious 'deja-vu'

World Cup winner Josh Rock laughed when he saw his opponent ahead of his opening-round game in the World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens.

The Northern Irishman described it as "deja-vu" after losing to Smith 10-4 at this stage last year.

"I just laughed when the draw came out. I thought, 'Typical, it's deja-vu!'" Rock said in an interview. "There could be fireworks, but hopefully this time around, I come out as the winner. It should be a fantastic game regardless. There are no easy games at this tournament. The top 32 players in the world are capable of winning anything, so it’s all on the day."

Rock is one of the most in-form players on the tour, leading many to predict a deep run in the competition. Despite this, Rock is focused on taking it one game at a time.

He said: “I’m confident in my own game. I still haven’t won a match at the World Matchplay, but this is only my third appearance there. I’ve always said it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Getting that first win will be a stepping stone, and then I believe I’ll be able to push on.”

After bursting onto the scene, it seems Rock is finally starting to fulfill his immense potential, with only Luke Littler and Luke Humphries boasting a higher average than him in 2025.

He has won a Players Championship event this year, reached a UK Open semi-final, and made two European Tour last-fours. Rock is now hopeful of replicating this form on the big TV stages.

“I feel in a really good place at the minute, and long may it continue," Rock said. "I knew I could perform on TV, but I had a lot of things going on behind the scenes that didn’t really help. Now, everything is going to plan."

Rock went on to add that he would "love to win an individual title" to complement the World Cup he won for Northern Ireland with Daryl Gurney, but he is not rushing ahead of himself.

“I’m only 24 years old, so I’ve still got an awful lot of time in this sport to achieve what I want to achieve," Rock said. "As I’ve said before, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so I’m happy to keep doing what I’m doing, but I would love to win an individual major title this year. It would mean the absolute world to me, and I’m going to fight as much as I can for that.”

Northern Ireland won their first World Cup in Frankfurt last June, with Rock and Gurney combining to form a formidable team. They defeated Germany and Northern Ireland convincingly before taking down Welsh pair Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton in a thriller of a final.

The 24-year-old posted some outstanding numbers in that tournament, including an average of 107.88 in the final to earn his first major title.

Reflecting on that previous success, Rock described it as "massive" for himself and said it was "even more special" to win it for his country.

“It was absolutely massive for me and Daryl," said Rock. “For me personally, lifting my first major title and winning for my country made it even more special. Beating one of the best pairings there has ever been in Gerwyn and Jonny was absolutely fantastic. It was a pleasure to be involved in that match.”