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GARY ANDERSON experienced a disappointing 54th birthday as Jeffrey de Graaf unexpectedly extinguished his hopes of clinching a third consecutive world title.
The intended festivities, which included bunting and a birthday cake, were abandoned when the Flying Scotsman suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to an unseeded qualifier in his opening match at Ally Pally this year.
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This marks the first occasion since December 2009—his debut in this tournament—where he has been eliminated in the second round.
It also marks the first time he has lost his opening match in the PDC major event.
The two-time world champion endured a shocking and humiliating defeat—only the third time in 15 years that he has failed to win at least one set at this venue in North London.
With odds at 10-1 for claiming a third Sid Waddell Trophy, and only Luke Littler and Luke Humphries having shorter odds among the 96-player field, many anticipated he would progress deep into the bottom half of the draw.
Some even suggested he could challenge his old rival Michael van Gerwen in the Last 16, but those expectations have now dissipated.
As the No.14 seed, Anderson succeeded in just three of 20 double attempts and appeared shocked by the result.
Despite recognizing his physical decline prior to the match, Anderson remains one of the sport’s most cherished figures, receiving a warm welcome as he made his entrance into the arena.
However, he grimaced while exiting the stage after the TV ad break, having missed five of his six double attempts in the first set.
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De Graaf, originally from Holland but representing Sweden on the international stage, executed checkouts of 120 and 100 as he dominated the early portions of the match.
Anderson showed signs of frustration as he aggressively retrieved his darts from the board in the second set, falling behind 2-0.
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De Graaf achieved the biggest upset of the tournament thus far, showcasing accuracy in his finishing with a winning 76 finish on his ninth out of 12 double attempts.
The world No.81 is set to face Filipino Paolo Nebrida in the third round after Christmas and is hopeful about advancing further.
De Graaf, 34, stated: “It’s fantastic. Gary didn’t really show up as he usually does. I am incredibly pleased. I felt quite nervous after the first set.
“I was a bit lucky in the second set when he missed several doubles. That gave my confidence a boost for the third set.
“This has been my best year. I’m excited to be here. I’ll keep striving for more. My checkouts were vital.”
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