The Mirrorman achieves top four finish in PDC event

PDC Tour Card holder Simon Stevenson produced his best performance in the Players Championships when he contested the first two events of the year at the Barnsley Metrodome.

Each event boasts £75,000 in prizemoney and Stevenson earned his share of the spoils with an epic performance in Players Championship Two, competing on what was his 46th birthday.

The previous day, he went out in the opening round of Players Championship One against Aaron Monk 6-4, despite achieving a 99.34 average, but bounced back in Players Championship Two which began with a 6-4 victory over Richard North.

The Mirrorman led 3-2 after winning legs in 14, 15, 15 and although North came back to lead 4-3, Stevenson took the remaining legs in 15, 12 and 11 to move into the last 64.

LAST FOUR: Simon Stevenson produced an epic performance in Players Championship Two to make the last four of a PDC event for the first time.

In no time at all, the Plymouth marksman trailed Rob Owen 4-0, only to win six on the bounce, including legs in 13 and 14 to progress to the last 32 where standing in his way of progress was the 2017 World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney.

But that form counted for nothing as Stevenson trounced the Irishman 6-0.

After going 4-0 up in 15, 17, 15 and 15, Stevenson finished another leg in 15 with a 120 checkout before taking the last in 16 for an emphatic victory and a commendable 96.97 average.

He then defeated Kirk Shepherd 6-2, with his best legs being won in 14, 15 and 15 before facing Ryan Joyce in the last eight.

Stevenson lost the opener but levelled when finishing a 12-dart leg with a kill of 132 before edging 2-1 in front when winning in 13.

Joyce won the next two only for Stevenson to level in 16 before taking the next to lead 4-3.

The 2017 BDO Gold Cup winner bounced back to level at 4-4 before the last three legs were all won in 14 darts, with Stevenson claiming two of them to move into the semi-finals with a 6-5 victory.

His opponent in the last four was none other than the world’s no.1 player Michael van Gerwen who defeated the Mirrorman 6-2 before following up his triumph of the previous day with a 6-1 defeat of Corey Cadby.

But there was no doubting Stevenson’s achievement which will hopefully inspire him to other top performances in the tournaments that lie ahead.

His semi-final prizemoney of £3,000 goes towards his 2018 PDC Order of Merit placing which currently stands at £7,000.

The Plymouth marksman will be hoping to add to that when he competes in the Coral UK Open, which takes place at Butlins Minehead, this coming weekend.