Darts World Championship
World Cup surprise blows out against former champion
01/01/2026 – 5:59 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Justin Hood impressed round after round as an underdog at the Darts World Cup. But the “Flying Scotsman” was his last stop in the quarter-finals.
Gary Anderson beat English debutant Justin Hood 5-2 at London’s Alexandra Palace on New Year’s Day to secure a place in the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship. The former world champion particularly impressed in the sixth set with a perfect checkout rate.
Justin Hood was the biggest surprise at the World Cup. On his way to the quarterfinals, the debutant knocked stars like Danny Noppert and Josh Rock out of the tournament. But he couldn’t beat the “Flying Scotsman” Gary Anderson.
The 55-year-old Scot, who won the world championship title in 2015 and 2016, showed his class, especially in the crucial moments. After the game was initially even, Anderson was able to gain the upper hand after a 2-2 score.
In the semi-finals, Anderson will now face either the reigning world champion Luke Humphries or the Dutchman Gian van Veen. These two do the late evening session in the evening. Ryan Searle had previously qualified for the semi-finals with a 5-2 win against Jonny Clayton. The Englishman lost sets for the first time in the tournament after previously holding himself harmless. In the semi-finals he could face reigning world champion Luke Littler, who will play against Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.