Kettering's Ricky set for a showdown with Michael van Gerwen
'Rapid' Ricky Evans got off to a winning start at the World Darts Championship
Kettering's Ricky Evans set up a showdown with number one seed Michael van Gerwen as his PDC William Hill World Championship campaign got off to a winning start.
As the number 32 seed, 'Rapid' started the tournament in the second round and, having lost the first set he hit back to beat Mickey Mansell 3-1.
Having levelled the match at one set apiece, Evans moved through the gears and averaged an impressive 110 in the third set to take control.
And Evans, who hit six 180s, secured his place in the last 32 at the Alexandra Palace in fine style with back-to-back ton finishes of 104 and 102.
He will now meet Dutch superstar van Gerwen for the second year in a row at the World Championship having bowed out 4-0 to the world No.1 at the same stage last year.
The third-round match will be the last one on stage during during Sunday's (December 27) evening session and will be screened live on the Sky Sports Darts channel.
And while Evans knows he now has the "hardest task in darts" in front of him, he believes he has the game to cause an upset while he also admitted he had been practising more after getting "fed up" with watching close friend and fellow Kettering man Kyren Wilson playing in the big snooker tournaments of late.
"I still think I am a lot better than what I show but you have to win these matches and tournaments, I just take every event as it comes," Evans said.
"I miss playing with the fans behind us but I am practising every day. I have been on Tour for seven years but I am always learning and I have learned more this year. I am practising because I am bored and I am fed up with watching snooker!
"I have been watching Kyren Wilson every week! He was the World Championship runner-up and Kettering is remembering him. I am better than him, at dancing at least!
"But I am putting my life into darts.
"If I lose (to van Gerwen) then people will expect it, if I win then people are going to remember you for a long time.
"I know I have the game but I have got the hardest task in darts. But I am still going to laugh and smile and be the same Ricky Evans."