Two Euro qualifiers head a busy three days for Simon

PLYMOUTH’S professional darts player Simon Stevenson will be back on the PDC circuit as early as tomorrow afternoon when he competes in the UK Qualifier of both the European Darts Open and the German Darts Championship, the first two of 13 European events which will be contested throughout the year.

Eighteen players will qualify from the event which is being staged at the Barnsley Metrodome and The Mirror Man will be hoping he will be one of them.

The first European Tour event, the European Darts Open will take place between March 22-24 in Leverkusen, Germany and just a week later from March 29-31, players will fly to Hildesheim to compete in the German Darts Championship.

Two more Players Championship events will also be contested in Barnsley on Saturday and Sunday and Stevenson will be hoping for a better haul of ranking points than the 500 he achieved at Wigan last weekend.

He had a brilliant start in Players Championship Three when he defeated Dawson Murschell 6-1 in 17, 18, 18, 13, 15 and 18 giving him a 90.5 average before he came up against an in-form Steve West (97.00).

The two-time winner of the Denmark Open went into a 3-0 lead in 18, 16 and 14 before reeling off three 15-darters to defeat Stevenson 6-0.

The following day Simon was drawn to play against Robert Owen but despite a good start went out 6-4.

After winning the opener in 14, the Mirror Man won the next with a checkout of 133 to open up a two-leg advantage.

Owen took the next three to lead for the first time and although Simon claimed the following two legs, three on the bounce from the Welshman in 14, 15 and 16 ended any hopes of further progress for Stevenson.

But a different day brings a different challenge and Simon will be hoping he can give a good account of himself over the three competing days in Barnsley.