"I played absolute dog poo basically giving them easy wins..." - Ricky Evans berates himself after dismal Players Championship return

Ricky Evans is one for being tough on himself. The Kettering darter has not lived up to the potential many would have predicted when he burst onto the scene, and after recent troubles in Players Championship 17 and 18, he will be quickly be wanting to forget a nightmare of a week.

'Rapid Ricky' Evans failed to get past the first round in either event. This was his return to ProTour action after skipping a brace of events for the first time in his career after featuring in 520 consecutive Players Championship events.

This turnout led to him consolidating a spot in the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit, building up a steady stream of consistency that he would have been hoping to kick on from. Aside from some very commendable displays in front of the TV cameras, he has not reached the heights he would have dearly hoped for.

He endured a disastrous tournament showing in Leicester, losing in the first round in both matches. While he was against world class opposition in the form of Stephen Bunting and Ross Smith, he could only average 77 in each match.

Evans was quick to go to social media and update his fans on what had happened. “Thank god this week’s over, couldn’t grip or throw a dart properly… doesn’t help when it’s my job," he wrote.

“Two players champs draws against two world class players and I played absolute dog poo basically giving them easy wins… that’s not me. Today two Euro qualifiers… a little better but still nothing anywhere near the world class player I know I am."

He will now relish the chance to spend some time away from the dart board. “Thankfully a few days off now… no superleague or county as I don’t get asked anymore so darts are staying in the draw until Tuesday… a few days celebrating with the most beautiful person in the world… I can’t wait."

Still without a third round appearance on the floor in 2026, it is obvious that Evans abilities lie on the main stage. He qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts last year, making an impression enroute to the quarter-final. He gave the crowd a lot to smile about at the PDC World Darts Championship but ended in a fit of dismay after losing to Charlie Manby in the third round.

A former UK Open semi-finalist, Evans has got what it takes to compete with the best. However, for the world number 49 he needs to be showing it on a more consistent basis.