"I believe I will be a World Champion one day"

Josh Rock has had a rapid rise over the past 18 months. He won five Development Tour titles and a Players Championship title last year, after winning his Tour Card the same year.

On his Grand Slam debut, he managed to throw a nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen before 'Rocky' lost to the Dutchman after a cracker. In his first appearance at the World Darts Championship, he then reached the last sixteen.

This year, Rock has had another set of good results, with a Euro Tour final and two Players Championship finals as highlights. The Northern Irishman notes that he has made strides again this year.

“I think the averages may not say it, but I’ve been a lot more consistent this year compared to last year,” the 22-year-old darter said in conversation with the PDC. ''It just feels like players are raising their game against me because they know they have to, but that’s understandable. When I came in last year, I was the underdog. I was raising my game against everyone else. They were getting frustrated, so it’s coming back on me now, but I think I’m coping with it alright.”

Rock is now focusing on a strong second half of the season. Most major television tournaments are scheduled for the fall. The World Matchplay in July ended in disappointment with a 10-5 defeat against Damon Heta in the first round.

As a result, Rock is still waiting for his first quarterfinal at a major tournament. ''I want to get back to my top level because I dropped off in the last couple of ProTours and I had a really disappointing World Matchplay. I’ve got another five majors [remaining] this year so I want to perform better than I did in Blackpool."

''I think if you have the heart and the belief in your game, you can beat anybody, and I do believe I will win a TV major. It’s all about what Josh Rock turns up. I believe I will be a World Champion one day, but you never know.”