Sport
Ricky Evans promises to be PDC Home Tour entertainer
Rapid Ricky Evans is the only person in the UK still dressing up for darts in lockdown! So far he has donned a cheerleader’s outfit and a blue morph costume!
The Kettering ace takes his place in the PDC Home Tour tonight against Martin Atkins, Christian Bunse and Jeff Smith. But the World No.29 is promising it will be wacky, just like his mad costumes for Clap For Carers every Thursday night.
He said: “My dad and I have done three Clap For Carers dressing up nights. He collects masks and anyone who knows us knows I am just my dad 30 or 40 years ago. He’s nuts.”
“He’s got at least 100 masks. He’ll go on ebay and see a Donald Trump mask and buy it. He’ll buy any old rubber latex mask.”
“On Thursday night I was in a blue morph suit, wearing a PDC shirt on an exercise bike. I’ve been a cheerleader so far as well. We are on about doing Stavros Flatley from Britain’s Got Talent next week, father and son would work well. Although that might be a bit X-rated for Twitter pictures!”
“We will try and get some madness into the Home Tour on Saturday night. Maybe a little bit of a dance, we’ll see how it goes. I’ve got to liven it up a bit.”
“My dance I did at the Ally Pally in December has been watched a few times and turned into a GIF. I still don’t know what happened then. Maybe I’ll do a bit of YMCA as my walk-on before the match. I’ll need to get in the mood for it somehow.”
Ricky Evans, who threw a 180 in 2.16 seconds in the World Championships three years ago, also believes he’ll be too quick for his own WiFi.
He added: “My board is in a little darts room that my mum and dad made for me when I was a teenager. I’ve had to tell my mum and dad to stay off WiFi after 6.30pm.”
“Because I’m a quick player it’s going to be hard. Usually I’m always on my tip toes ready to throw against my opponent. It’s going to be weird having no one in front of me. It will slow me down a bit and certainly upset my rhythm. It’s probably not the best format for me. But you never know it might actually help me.”
“The biggest problem is my phone camera won’t be able to keep up with my throw, my throw is too quick for WiFi trust me.”
“I was looking forward to all the tournaments and trying to qualify for the big TV events. I’m usually away for 40 weeks a year, I was in 2019 and that was very successful for me.”
“I had hit form for a few months just before the lockdown. Now it’s a weird one whether to practice hard or not.”
“Last year was awesome for me, I qualified for everything apart from the Grand Slam. I was a seed for the Europeans which was great. I ran into Michael (van Gerwen) in the Worlds. It wasn’t a 4-0 defeat game, I missed some big chances. But that’s why he’s World No.1 and I’m World No.29.”
Ricky Evans also admits that he’s unlikely to stop being the oche madman, unless he starts winning majors.
He said: “I’m just me and that might not change ever. I’m serious on the oche. I’m never going to be the most serious player in the world. If I started making semi-finals and finals that jovial stuff would wear off a bit I’m sure. ”
“I think people would get bored of my silly walk-ons and facial expressions. Maybe I could wear a mask! Until then I won’t change, I’ll always be a bit mad. If I can win the Home Tour I will win a unique tournament and become Kettering’s No.1. That’s my ambition.”
Saturday May 2
Ricky Evans v Martin Atkins
Christian Bunse v Jeff Smith
Martin Atkins v Jeff Smith
Ricky Evans v Christian Bunse
Christian Bunse v Martin Atkins
Jeff Smith v Ricky Evans
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