Former PDC World Youth Champion Ted Evetts returned to darts’ Challenge Tour winner’s circle this afternoon, claiming the opening event honours on day two in Leicester.
Super Ted descended upon the Mattioli Arena and, after an arduous and relentlessly demanding journey through a talent-laden field, edged past Aden Kirk to soar away with the title. The decorated Development Tour champion did things the hard way, with many of his nine matches en route to victory going right down to the wire in nerve-shredding fashion.
In reaching the quarter-finals, the Warwickshire man’s hit list included four fellow English arrow-smiths, Colin McCaughern of Northern Ireland, and talented Dutch youngster Jamai van den Herik. From that point onwards, it became a procession of tense, last-leg deciders all the way to the finishing line.
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Evetts’ highest average of the afternoon – an impressive 102.89 – arrived in his quarter-final victory over Jack Aldridge. Then, in the semi-finals, he managed to squeeze past one of yesterday’s victors, Derek Coulson, despite racing into what had appeared to be a commanding 3-0 lead.
Into the final, and once again the 28-year-old found himself in a position of authority, leading Kirk 4-1 and seemingly on the cusp of lifting the title. However, the Nottingham arrow-smith rallied magnificently, dragging the contest into a full-distance decider. Yet, for the third successive match, it was Super Ted who held his nerve to claim the decisive leg, sealing his fourth career PDC Challenge Tour title.
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For Aden Kirk, being edged out in a final carries its own particular anguish. To suffer the same fate again just a few hours later is a far crueller ordeal. Delight, however, belonged to Florian Preis, who eventually prevailed in a thrilling finale, consigning the Trent thrower to yet another runner-up finish.
The German marched imperiously to victory, with his run including notable triumphs over tour high-flyer Martin Dragt and last year’s Red Dragon Champion of Champions winner, David Davies. After narrowly overcoming Colin McCaughern, Preis then expertly dispatched Challenge Tour leader Joe Hunt in the quarter-finals. The Munich man followed that with another emphatic 5-1 success to see off Lewis Pride and set up a showdown with Kirk.
Leading 4-2, Preis was forced to watch anxiously as his opponent dragged the match into a deciding leg. Frustratingly for the Englishman, he faltered at the final hurdle in what proved to be the longest leg of the contest.
The title elevated the German into eighth position on the Order of Merit. And despite a brace of runner-up finishes, it was still a highly productive and encouraging day for Kirk, who now climbs into third place, with only Joe Hunt and Derek Coulson above him.
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Four events completed and one remaining, with just the far less arduous single event scheduled for Sunday.
2026 PDC CHALLENGE TOUR DARTS– EVENT EIGHT
Leicester, UK (Saturday 28th March)
Quarter-Finals
Derek Coulson (WAL) 5-0 Bruno Stoeckli (SWI)
Ted Evetts (ENG) 5-4 Jack Aldridge (UK)
Aden Kirk (ENG) 5-4 Matthew Dennant (ENG)
Graham Usher (ENG) 5-4 Michele Turetta (ITA)
Semi-Finals
Ted Evetts (ENG) 5-4 Derek Coulson (WAL)
Aden Kirk (ENG) 5-4 Graham Usher (ENG)
Final
Ted Evetts (ENG) 5-4 Aden Kirk (ENG)
2026 PDC CHALLENGE TOUR DARTS– EVENT NINE
Leicester, UK (Saturday 28th March)
Quarter-Finals
Llew Bevan (WAL) 5-4 Danny Trueman (SCO)
Aden Kirk (ENG) 5-1 James Beeton (ENG)
Lewis Pride (ENG) 5-4 Steve Haggerty (ENG)
Florian Preis (GER) 5-1 Joe Hunt (ENG)
Semi-Finals
Aden Kirk (ENG) 5-4 Llew Bevan (WAL)
Florian Preis (GER) 5-1 Lewis Pride (ENG)
Final
Florian Preis (GER) 5-4 Aden Kirk (ENG)
——ENDS—–
Images: PDC
