Northern Ireland's Josh Rock described a "special" feeling after hitting his first Premier League nine-darter at Belfast's SSE Arena on Thursday night. The 24-year-old from Broughshane in County Antrim achieved the perfect leg during his quarter-final match, which he lost 6-2 to the Netherlands' Gian van Veen. Despite the defeat, Rock was awarded a set of 18ct gold darts worth £30,000 for the nine-dart finish.
It was the 22nd nine-darter in Premier League history, and Rock told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane that the feat more than made up for his early exit. "Being from Northern Ireland and hitting a nine-darter in front of Belfast is phenomenal," he said. "My consistency in the Premier League is good but tonight, the 6-2 (defeat) I don't even care. I've hit a nine-darter in front of my home crowd and enjoyed that even more."
Rock described the moment his ninth dart landed in double 12: "When it left my hand and the double 12 went in, I just thought 'I've hit a nine-darter in Belfast'. My body is still shaking; I had to shake my shoulders to calm myself down, but I'm buzzing." He added, "Nine-darters don't come around too often, but to hit one in the Premier League in Belfast - what a feeling."
The Northern Irishman is without a win in his Premier League debut season, having lost 6-2 in each of his four matches. He admitted feeling pressure in front of his home fans but hopes the nine-darter can act as a catalyst. "I hope this gives me the belief to push on for the rest of the Premier League," Rock said. "I know what I can do and tonight, I didn't feel the pressure, but when I stood on that stage I felt added pressure and just wanted to perform. When I hit the first 180 and second 180, I just thought 'please hit this for everybody', and I did."
Rock also reflected on the broader significance: "To be classed as one of the leading players in the PDC and the world is a great feeling. From a Northern Ireland perspective, there's not a lot of us in the world but to do that in front of the home crowd is massive." Gian van Veen, who beat Rock 6-2, went on to lose the final to Stephen Bunting.
