Andrew Gilding overcame a freak leg injury and a 3-0 deficit to secure a 6-3 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf in the first round of the Poland Darts Open in Krakow. The Englishman, nicknamed 'Goldfinger', posted an impressive average of 106.55 to advance to the second round.
Gilding revealed he pulled a muscle in his leg just before the match while practicing. "I'm not sure where that came from. Just before I hit the bull in the practice room, I pulled a muscle in my leg, so I was in a bit of pain. I thought it was going to affect me a bit, but obviously it didn't," he told Tungsten Tales. Despite the pain, he played through it, quipping afterwards, "Yeah, it's a little bit sore, but I'll keep it if I play like that."
The match started poorly for Gilding as de Graaf opened with a 15-darter, extended to 2-0, then hit back-to-back maximums before sealing a 12-darter to lead 3-0. However, Gilding fought back with a 108 finish to get on the board, followed by a 100 checkout to level the match. He then took control with a 64 finish to break and lead, closing out the contest professionally.
With this performance, Gilding moves into the next round with momentum, having demonstrated resilience against both scoreboard pressure and physical discomfort on the big stage.
