Number nine seed Damon Hita made it nine quarters as the PDC World Championship resumed after Christmas – but crashed out of the tournament.
The Australian hit a 12-goal brace to complete a perfect first leg in the second set of his third-round clash with Luke Woodhouse to earn a cool £60,000 paycheck.
But Woodhouse fought back to reach the last 16 with a 3-1 win.
Heroic hita reaches nine! 🔥
Incredible sights! 🤯
Damon Hita lands the second nine of the tournament to raise the roof at Alexandra Palace! #WCDarts pic.twitter.com/DW6rhvFqez
— Siham PDC (@OfficialPDC) December 27, 2024
“I have absolutely no words, the crowd were amazing,” Woodhouse told Sky Sports. “I don't think it was the greatest game in the world but I managed to get through it. I'm over the moon.
“I was just trying to put him under as much pressure as I could. I just wanted to keep him under as much pressure as possible and then see what happened from there.
Heita was millimeters away from throwing nine quarters in the previous round when he missed 12 goals, but he did not make any mistake this time in the first match after the Christmas break.
He followed up consecutive 180s with a triple 20 and a triple 19 before sending his ninth dart into the right side of the wire.
“You can't not celebrate”
Hita's feat was the second time a nine-dart had been bowled in the 2025 tournament and the 16th ever in a World Championship, following Christian Kist's effort before Christmas.
Woodhouse received his opponent's achievement in good spirits, hugging the Australian and raising his arm in the air.
Woodhouse added: “Damo and I are good friends. We go and play golf together a lot and have a good time and train a lot.
“I know he was frustrated when he missed his 12th brace in the previous round, so it was amazing. The crowd was going wild and you couldn't help but celebrate.”
