Jeffrey de Graaf has caused a surprise at the World Darts Championship by eliminating Jose de Sousa. The Swedish Dutchman triumphed 3-1 in sets against the former Grand Slam champion.
ADVERTISEMENT
De Graaf had lost in the first round each of his previous six World Cup appearances, but after his victory over Ritchie Edhouse in the first round of this World Darts Championship, the 33-year-old dart player is completely loose. With an average of 94 and a finishing percentage of 42 percent, he played a fine match against De Sousa, who managed to reach at least the last 32 each of the past three editions.
De Sousa still took the first set against De Graaf, but then failed to take advantage of misses by De Graaf in the second set. After De Graaf won the second set 3-2, there was no stopping 'The Special One'.
De Graaf took the third set 3-1 thanks to three 16-darters and then immediately took the lead in the fourth set with a 15-darter. De Graaf then shook a 10-darter out of his sleeve to double the lead.
The Dutch native then managed to finish it off handsomely with a 14-darter. That means De Graaf will get to face former world champion Rob Cross in the third round of the World Darts Championship after Christmas.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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