Ricky Evans saved the best until last before the Christmas break restricting Nathan Aspinall to only three legs in a destructive thrashing of the World Matchplay champion at the World Darts Championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
Evans spoke of his dismay of getting written off as either really good or bang average by pundits, but Wayne Mardle spoke post match on Sky Sports and gave his reasoning behind the best ever version of 'Rapid'. Known as the fastest darts player in the world, Mardle thinks he has started to slow down which has given him better results.
"It was Ricky Evans playing brilliantly and Nathan Aspinall was off but even if Nathan had played well, he may have got nothing out of it as that was Ricky Evans at his very best," said Mardle on Sky Sports.
"It's interesting to hear that he always feels like he's concentrated. He started off poorly with the second visit of like 24, 25 and he started mucking around. It's the way he is, it's the tension. He has slowed down, I believe that's the reason why he's getting results."
"He's a better darts player than he's ever been. Even beforehand, he said this is the best I've felt coming into the World Championship, well this is his best performance."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
ASPINALL IS OUT! ❌
Nathan Aspinall is dumped OUT of the World Championship at the hands of Ricky Evans!
A stunning display from Evans, who lost just two legs in the match!
📺 bit.ly/24WCLive#WCDarts | R2