Updated 16.55 | Published 16.28
LONDON. Andreas Harrysson’s, 50, WC adventure is over.
“Dirty Harry” fell in a highly dramatic round of 16 against world number five Jonny Clayton.
– Really sad, says the Swede to Sportbladet.
After three straight victories, “Dirty Harry” faced his toughest test so far in the darts World Cup, when the 50-year-old World Cup debutant from Målilla was pitted against the fifth-ranked Welshman Jonny Clayton in the round of 16. On the threshold of making history by becoming the first Swede ever to reach a World Cup quarter-final.
That was not the case.
– Really sad. Didn’t play my best today it felt like. I thought I would do it but it didn’t work out, says a dejected Andreas Harrysson at the press conference after what turned out to be a 2-4 loss.
But the road there was highly dramatic.
Many twists and turns
After dropping the first set, Harrysson took the second set in impressive fashion, winning 3–1 to go out at 149. He then opened the third set with his first for the day, and also took home the set in question.
Then the nerves started to kick in.
When Harrysson had the chance to take a 3-1 lead, it was instead 2-2 after a few misses. In the fifth set, Harrysson was served new golden opportunities several times. But he failed to take those chances either.
Instead, Clayton was able to take home the fifth set as well and thus return to a 3–2 lead.
Those misses were too many for Harrysson to be able to recover from, when the Welshman also won the sixth set and decided the match.
– I had hopes and faith in myself and everything. But the arrows weren’t quite right. I thought I would have a great match today, but no, says Harrysson.
When you look back at what you accomplished, what do you think about your entire journey?
– It’s fantastic. Unbelievable to stand here and play today. I could only dream of that.
Will spend the prize money on darts
Harrysson thus fell on the last step before a quarter-final ticket, which had also meant a PDC card. That is, a place on the tour where the world’s best players compete. Something that in practice had meant that he had been able to quit his day job at a glass factory to invest full time in darts.
However, the hope of a PDC card lives on, but for that he needs to go to Germany in a week and get past a four-day qualifier.
Regardless of how it goes there, Harrysson became 60,000 pounds, equivalent to 740,000 kroner, richer from the three victories he managed to take during his WC debut in Alexandra Palace.
– It means a lot. It will go to the darts, almost all of it I think. Maybe take an extra day off and drive the darts, says Harrysson.
