Denis Ovens
Encyclopedia
Denis Ovens is an English
darts
player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC
Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage
. 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'.
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 four 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 and in 2009
, to Ronnie Baxter
having defeated Steve Maish
3-0 in the first round.
Outside of darts Denis is a big Manchester United fan and has a season ticket, he goes to watch games when he is not playing darts.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
. 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'.
His one good run came in the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship
2005 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2005 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was held at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet and started on Boxing Day, 2004...
, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to former World Masters champion Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
. He has since suffered four successive second round exits in the World Championship - against Steve Alker
Steve Alker
Steve "Snakeman" Alker is a Welsh darts player. He plays in the British Darts Organisation.-Career:Alker won the 1998 Welsh Open, beating Colin Monk in the final. He was also a semi-finalist in the 2000 British Open...
in 2006
2006 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was held from 19 December 2005 to 2 January 2006 at the Circus Tavern. It was the 13th staging of the Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship....
, against Alan Tabern
Alan Tabern
Alan Tabern is an English darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, where he is also known as "The Saint" and "Tabby"...
in 2007
2007 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday 18 December 2006 and the final was played on Monday 1 January 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
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
and a £15,000 bonus), in 2008
2008 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
against Dutchman Jan van der Rassel
Jan van der Rassel
Jan van der Rassel is a Dutch darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He uses the nickname The Project for his matches. His former nickname was Tweety Pie....
, after defeating Colin Monk
Colin Monk
Colin Monk is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is turning full time professional in January 2010....
in the first round and in 2009
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
, to Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
having defeated Steve Maish
Steve Maish
Steve Maish is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Mr Magic for his matches....
3-0 in the first round.
Outside of darts Denis is a big Manchester United fan and has a season ticket, he goes to watch games when he is not playing darts.
Trivia
- Ovens is known for his trademark unshaven looks. Ovens stated on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's World Series of DartsWorld Series of DartsThe World Series of Darts was a Professional Darts Corporation event which was introduced in 2006. The event was not a ratings success in the United States and the PDC decided to replace it with another new tournament, the US Open for 2007....
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 Manchester United fan and his favourite player is Wayne Rooney.
- Ovens was Michael Caine's body double in a dart scene in the film Bullseye!Bullseye!Bullseye! is a 1990 comedy motion picture starring Michael Caine and Roger Moore. It was directed by Michael Winner.-Plot:Moore and Caine play dual roles—a pair of small time con-men and a pair of inept nuclear physicists who believe they have invented a limitless supply of energy...
which also featured Roger Moore. - Ovens' exploits within the PDC opens structure is well-known. Ovens holds the record for "most open wins" on the PDC circuit, with a total of 37 successes. He also holds the record for consecutive opens wins, a record which he set in 2005 after he recorded 7 consecutive open titles.