Josh Rock finally broke his Premier League Darts duck in Berlin tonight, and the relief was absolutely palpable.
The Northern Irishman from Broughshane had been winless through seven matches in what's been a tough debut campaign, but he turned things around at the Mercedes-Benz Arena by toppling league leader Jonny Clayton.
It's been a brutal run for the young talent, who suffered a 6-0 whitewash against Gerwyn Price just last week.
But Rock showed real courage to bounce back and claim his first points of the tournament in week eight, ending a miserable streak that had seen critics pile on.
Josh Rock fell to the floor in celebration after landing his first Premier League win
|SKY SPORTS
The winning moment came when Rock found double-16 to seal the deal, and he simply collapsed to the floor in pure joy.
His opponent was gracious in defeat, wrapping Rock in a big bear hug as the emotions poured out.
It wasn't a vintage performance by any means – Rock averaged just 89.22 – but his accuracy on the outer ring was superb, landing six from 14 attempts for a 42.86% conversion rate.
He also threw three maximums during the contest, while Clayton failed to register a single 180.
WOW 🤯
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) March 26, 2026
Josh Rock defeats Jonny Clayton 6-3 in Berlin to reach his first semi-final this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HuZsgbeztc
Rock clearly needed this one badly, and it showed in every moment of that celebration.
Rock will be back on the oche later this evening for a quarter-final clash against either Michael van Gerwen or Luke Humphries – quite the test for a player who's just found his feet.
Sky Sports Darts' Rod Studd was full of praise for the Broughshane man's efforts.
"Rock has won in the Premier League - and reacts like he has won the Premier League! The best man won there. Make no mistake," Studd said.
There's genuine hope now that we might finally see the real Josh Rock emerge after this breakthrough – the same player who threw a nine-darter against Gian van Veen last month.