REGARDLESS of what he achieves next in his career, Ted Evetts accepts he will always be the subject of a pub sports quiz question. Evetts, 24, long ago acknowledged his name will forever be the answer whenever someone is asked: Which bloke first lost to a woman at a World Darts Championship? Not that he […]
REGARDLESS of what he achieves next in his career, Ted Evetts accepts he will always be the subject of a pub sports quiz question.
Evetts, 24, long ago acknowledged his name will forever be the answer whenever someone is asked: Which bloke first lost to a woman at a World Darts Championship?
Not that he is bitter about being beaten by Fallon Sherrock in those epic scenes at London’s Alexandra Palace almost two years ago.
Far from it. Disappointed, yes — because he knew victory could have acted as a springboard on the PDC circuit and placed him in more TV tournaments.
But jealously? Envy? Nah, there has been none of that.
Super Ted is pleased for Sherrock, someone he has played with and against for many years, and always admired.
But there is no doubt the trajectory of his career nosedived after being the person on the wrong end of that historic first-round defeat.
As Sherrock won 3-2 and earned plaudits from the great and good of sport, Evetts was consigned to the shadows and had to rebuild.
And the fearsome booing and name-calling he received every time he threw hurt his family and friends watching from the VIP section.
Evetts said: “When I got drawn against Fallon I knew I’d be the evil person on the stage. Fallon played exceptionally that night.
“It was brilliant. We had a great game together. After four of the five sets we were just over the 100 average.
“I thought, ‘What have I got to do to break her?’. Her doubles were fantastic. She got the result, I was over the moon for her.
“I’ve known Fallon since I was 17 or 18 in our northern youth days. I’m happy for her.
“It was one of the first times where I had been booed on stage properly. But that game, it was an hour of just pure everything against me.
“I would walk up to the oche and straightaway the tone in the room changed.
“It was one of those nights I’ll never ever forget. It’s going to be a pub quiz question for the rest of my life really!
“Nothing I did that night was going to change what happened. She played that great.”
Whenever anyone recognises him these days, it is usually good-natured and decent banter.
But horrific abuse did not stop that night, sadly carrying on for almost a year-and-a-half on social media.
Evetts, ranked 75th in the world, said: “I must have had well over one thousand messages of just pure hate.
“There was one message that came through and I lost it for a little bit.
“I’m very cool and calm, and don’t really lose it over anything. But one message was aimed towards my mum.
“Say anything you want to me but as soon as it goes to my family, that is when I start losing it.
“I can remember about two, maybe three months after I lost that game, it was a case of, ‘Are you the guy that lost to Fallon?’.
“I even went across to Canada for two weeks. I walked into a darts event, a local thing, and someone said, ‘You’re the guy that lost to Fallon’.”
Evetts will hope for a better display this time when he plays ex-BDO star Jim Williams in the first round.
The winner of that showdown will face No 13 seed Joe Cullen in the last 64.
There are positive signs that Warwickshire thrower Evetts will not tumble into obscurity and could perhaps leave another imprint on the sport.
Evetts’ 6-4 victory over Northern Ireland’s Nathan Rafferty last month in Butlin’s Minehead saw him crowned as the World Youth Champion.
And health-wise he is looking trim, losing four stone during lockdown as he cut out the bad foods and ran regularly.
Evetts told the PDC: “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind being known by what happened. It’s always going to be that.
“But if I was to win a major or be a top-16 or top-ten player, it might flip it on its head. Time will tell with that.
“I was down about myself for ages. It’s only been recently where I thought, ‘Let’s go again — turn it back up’.
“I feel great going into every event. Whether I play great is a different matter but I feel ready.
“My head is in a better place now than it has ever been. I have that fight back.”
