Josh Rock has attributed his poor performance in the Premier League match held in Antwerp to a pre-match incident involving bathroom soap. The Northern Irish player faced a 6-2 defeat against Michael van Gerwen during the quarter-finals of the second night of the Premier League series. Rock stated that the soap made it difficult for him to grip his darts.
Performance Issues at Antwerp
Rock explained the incident, saying, “I went to the toilet just before I went on stage and obviously you wash your hands after going to the toilet. I put the soap all over my hands and the next minute I’m up there, and I was like, ‘This isn’t going to go well.’” According to Rock, the soap stripped the oils from his fingers, resulting in a loss of grip on the darts.
Preventing Future Mishaps
To avoid similar occurrences in the future, Rock plans to carry chalk and wax in his equipment case. “Now we’ve got a plan B,” he noted. “I didn’t have to use it this week at the Players Championship; it was fine, but it must have been the soap I used.”
This was Rock’s first experience of such an issue. “That was definitely the first time this has happened,” he remarked.
Looking Ahead to Glasgow
Looking forward, Rock aims to secure his first points of the Premier League season in Glasgow. He will face Luke Humphries in what promises to be an exciting match. As a devoted Rangers supporter, he hopes the crowd will favor him, especially with Celtic involved in UEFA Europa League action concurrently.
Rangers vs. Celtic Rivalry
“If I turn up, I win. If I don’t turn up, I don’t win,” Rock added confidently. He is just a short journey from Scotland, either a two-hour boat ride or a quick flight, making the Glasgow event a home game for him.
Upcoming Matches
In other quarter-final matches, Luke Littler will compete against Van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton faces Gian van Veen, and Gerwyn Price will take on Stephen Bunting. This season, Luke Humphries will look to defend his title as the action continues every Thursday from February through May on Sky Sports.
