Under The Radar
Five Players Set To Shine This Summer
A far cry from the bright lights of the big stage , the ProTour is the epitome of hard graft , and a string of players look set to reap the rewards after making their mark on the tour so far this season .
The crème de la Prem may have hogged the limelight for the past four months , but while the top ten have entertained vast crowds in arenas across the UK and Ireland , the rest of pack have mostly plied their trade in Leisure and Tennis Centres in the glitz and glamour of Wigan and Crawley .
Now , as the darting season heads into a sizzling summer , a healthy mixture of youth and experience are ready to step up to the plate ; here are our top five to look out for .
Stuart Kellett
After a shaky start , Kellett has finally found his feet in the PDC ranks , establishing himself as one of the most dangerous throwers on the circuit .
The man known as ‘ KO ’ won through the PDPA qualifier to reach December ’ s World Championship , but 21 missed darts at doubles in a belowpar display which saw him slump to a first round exit .
That debut Ally Pally appearance , however , has proved the catalyst for Kellett to kick-start his career , and the Manchester ace has since climbed 22 places in the order of merit to 44 , largely courtesy of his run to the final of the UK Masters in March .
With a victory over Phil Taylor also under his belt this year , Kellett sits in pole position for a spot in July ’ s World Matchplay after climbing to ninth in the latest ProTour order of merit , and will be aiming to replicate his red hot floor form in front of the TV cameras on the famous Winter Gardens stage .
Ricky Evans
Perhaps one of the biggest success stories to derive from the expansion of the PDC Youth Challenge Tour , Evans has proved a force to be reckoned with in recent months and gained priceless experience in his first televised outing .
The 22-year-old got a taste of things to come when he contested the World Youth Final in front of 10,000 fans at London ’ s O2 Arena , and despite losing that final to Michael Smith , Evans will be out to build on that lesson as he aims to fulfil his promising potential .
A Q School graduate in January , Evans has made the demanding step up from youth to professional level in the space of six months and his fine form on the ProTour is set to be rewarded with a place in the world ’ s top 96 .
The Kettering starlet is renowned for his lightning quick throwing style - regarded by many as one of the quickest in the sport , and like many now established stars - will be aiming to make his major breakthrough in the upcoming UK Open . Blink and you ’ ll miss him !
Ronny Huybrechts
Determined not to play second fiddle to his brother Kim , Ronny has forged his own reputation this year , using his run to February ’ s World Cup final as a springboard for singles success .
The Belgian ace put family ties aside when he thrashed ‘ The Hurricane ’ 6-1 en route to the runner-up spot in the first Players Championship event of the season , and has taken the scalp of numerous other big guns over the past six months .
Having earned £ 9,700 on the ProTour alone in 2013 , Huybrechts has enjoyed the fastest progression of any Q School qualifier this year , surging to 70th in the world rankings and on the cusp of a maiden appearance at the World Matchplay and European Championship .
The 47-year-old has proved somewhat of a late bloomer , winning his first open title in 2008 , but with a twoyear Tour Card under his belt and no prize money to defend , the only way is up for blistering Belgian .
By Jamie Shaw
( Editor of www . live-darts . com )