Jonny Clayton believes Rob Cross's World Championship win is biggest shock in darts history and here's why

The 2018 World Darts Championship was dominated by the farewell of Phil Taylor. The 16-time world champion was finally close to a seventeenth and final world title, reaching the final again at age 57, but losing 7-2 to Rob Cross.

What made Cross' performance even more spectacular was that it was his debut at the World Championship. He had just finished his first full year as a Tour Card holder and despite winning four Players Championships in his debut year, he was not immediately considered among the favorites for the world title. Cross started the tournament as the 20th seed but surprised friend and foe by capturing the world title on his debut.

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"You were playing brilliant," said Clayton. "As the darts players we didn't know you. You came onto that scene and you just flew you were unbelievable. That first year of yours. It was history making. It wasn't a shock in that you could do it, but it was a shock nobody would've put money on Jonny Clayton or Rob Cross that year."

Rob Cross won the 2018 World Darts Championship

Self-confidence

"It's a little bit different for me as I see the way I was playing. The way I was performing. Averages were good, timing was good in the games. I think the only difference is that it's like a box ticking exercise. The only thing that I wasn't sure was how to hold myself together up there if that makes sense. It's what you do with that crowd and not playing there before. It's a lot different. I knew I was playing well."

For now, it remained just one world title for Cross. He did, however, win three other majors in the meantime.

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