Denis Ovens
| Denis Ovens | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | The Heat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
1 July 1957 Enfield, England | ||||||||||||||||||
| Home town |
Stevenage England | ||||||||||||||||||
| Darts information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Playing darts since | 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Darts | 20g LazerDarts | ||||||||||||||||||
| Laterality | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||
| Walk-on music | The Heat Is On by Glenn Frey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation (see split in darts) | |||||||||||||||||||
| BDO | 1984–2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| PDC | 2000–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||
| BDO majors - best performances | |||||||||||||||||||
| World Ch'ship | Last 32: 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Quarter-final: 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||
| World Darts Trophy | First Round: 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
| PDC premier events - best performances | |||||||||||||||||||
| World Ch'ship | Quarter-final: 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | Last 16: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 2005, 2009, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Last 16: 2001, 2003, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam | Last 16: 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ch'ship League | Initial groups, Semi-finals 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Desert Classic | Quarter-final: 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||
| European Ch'ship | Last 16: 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| UK Open | Semi-final: 2010, 2011, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||
| US Open/WSoD | Runner-up: 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Players Ch'ship Finals | First Round: 2009, 2010, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournament wins | |||||||||||||||||||
Players Championships
UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers
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Denis Ovens (born 1 July 1957 in Enfield) is a former English darts player. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage.[1] Ovens is widely regarded as one of the most consistent players in the circuit, though he has as yet failed to convert his form from the circuit to the big stages on television. His constant second round exits in numerous televised tournaments has led him to be called by commentators as 'The Nearly Man'.
Career
His one good run came in the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to former World Masters champion Mark Dudbridge. He has since suffered six successive second round exits in the World Championship - against Steve Alker in 2006, against Alan Tabern in 2007 (in a thriller that went to a sudden death deciding leg, with Ovens narrowly missing a double 12 for a perfect nine dart finish and a £15,000 bonus), in 2008 against Dutchman Jan van der Rassel, after defeating Colin Monk in the first round in 2009, to Ronnie Baxter having defeated Steve Maish 3-0 in the first round.
He reached the semi-final of the UK Open in three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012, and reached the final of the inaugural German Darts Championship in 2007.
World Championship results
BDO
- 2000: 1st Round (lost to Bobby George 1-3)
PDC
- 2001: 1st round (lost to Les Fitton 1-3)
- 2002: 2nd round (lost to Richie Burnett 4-6)
- 2003: 3rd round (lost to Dennis Smith 1-5)
- 2004: 3rd round (lost to Alex Roy 3-4)
- 2005: Quarter-finals (lost to Mark Dudbridge 3-5)
- 2006: 2nd round (lost to Steve Alker 1-4)
- 2007: 2nd round (lost to Alan Tabern 3-4)
- 2008: 2nd round (lost to Jan van der Rassel 1-4)
- 2009: 2nd round (lost to Ronnie Baxter 1-4)
- 2010: 2nd round (lost to Colin Lloyd 3-4)
- 2011: 2nd round (lost to Simon Whitlock 0-4)
- 2012: 1st round (withdrew due to injury while trailing Kevin Munch 1-0)
- 2013: 2nd round (lost to Adrian Lewis 1-4)
Career finals
PDC premier event finals: 1 (1 runner-up)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score[N 1] |
| Runner-up | 1. | 2010 | US Open |  Phil Taylor |
3–6 (s) |
- ↑ (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.
Performance timeline
| Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDO World Championship | DNP | L32 | No longer a BDO Member | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winmau World Masters | L16 | DNP | L32 | DNP | QF | L64 | DNP | No longer a BDO Member | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Darts Trophy | Not held | DNP | L32 | Not held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PDC World Championship | NYF | DNP | L32 | L16 | L16 | L32 | QF | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L64 | L32 | |||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | NYF | DNP | L16 | L32 | L16 | L16 | L16 | L16 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L16 | L32 | L16 | DNP | |||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Not held | DNP | L16 | L32 | L16 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | L16 | DNP | ||||||||||||||||
| Las Vegas Desert Classic | Not held | QF | RR | L16 | L32 | L32 | DNP | Not held | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Open | Not held | L32 | L16 | L64 | L16 | L32 | L64 | L64 | SF | SF | SF | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||
| US Open/WSoD | Not held | QF | L64 | L32 | L16 | RU | Not held | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam of Darts | Not held | DNP | L16 | RR | DNP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Championship | Not held | L16 | DNP | L32 | DNP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League | Not held | RR | RR | RR | RR | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Players Championship Finals | Not held | L32 | L32 | L32 | L32 | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNP | Did not play at the event | DNQ | Did not qualify for the event | NYF | Not yet founded | L# | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) |
| QF | lost in the quarter-finals | SF | lost in the semi-finals | RU | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
Trivia
- Ovens is known for his trademark unshaven looks. Ovens stated on ESPN's World Series of Darts that he kept shaving before a darts match and always lost, so he thought "OK, don't shave".
- Ovens is well known to darts fans as "Captain Hobo", in reference to his unkempt appearance.
- Ovens is a devoted Chelsea fan.
- Close friend of bodybuilding fanatic Adam Mead.
- Denis is known for his patterned darts shirts.
- Denis is widely regarded as the "Darts Players' Player"
- Denis currently trains with Andrew Donhou, based out of 'The Duck' public house in Aylesbury
References
- ↑ "Denis Ovens (ENG)". ITV. Retrieved 21 January 2010.