Nathan Aspinall

Nathan Aspinall (born 15 July 1991) is an English professional darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the 2019 UK Open with a 170 checkout in the final leg against former World Champion Rob Cross.

Nathan Aspinall
Personal information
Nickname"The Asp"
Born (1991-07-15) 15 July 1991
Stockport, England
Home townStockport, England
Darts information
Darts26 g Target Darts
LateralityRight-handed
Walk-on music"Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
Organisation (see split in darts)
PDC2012–
Current world ranking6
BDO majors – best performances
World MastersLast 272: 2013
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'shipSemi Final: 2019, 2020
World MatchplayLast 32: 2019, 2020
World Grand PrixQuarter Final: 2019
Grand SlamGroup Stage: 2016, 2019
Premier League2020
European Ch'shipLast 16: 2019
UK OpenWinner (1): 2019
Players Ch'ship FinalsLast 32: 2018
MastersSemi Final: 2020
Other tournament wins
PDC Challenge Tour 2017
PDC Development Tour 2015
PDC Home Tour 2020

Players Championships

Players Championship (BAR) 2018, 2020 (x2)

World Series of Darts

US Darts Masters 2019

Career

Aspinall began playing in PDC Development and Challenge Tour events in 2012. His first semi-final in those came in 2013, where he lost 4–2 to Max Hopp.[1] He won a two-year PDC Tour Card in 2015 through the Q School Order of Merit and qualified for the UK Open, where he beat Chris Dobey 5–1 and James Richardson 9–4, before losing 4–9 to James Wade in the fourth round.[2][3] Aspinall's first European Tour appearance was at the Dutch Darts Masters and he squeezed past Jamie Robinson and Vincent van der Voort both 6–5.[4] In the third round Justin Pipe eliminated him 6–4.[5] Aspinall won the seventh Development Tour event of 2015 with a 4–2 victory over Benito van de Pas.[6] He also lost in the final of two other events during the year.[7] Aspinall made his first televised appearance in the final of the 2015 PDC World Youth Championship, where he played the German Max Hopp. After 10 legs of holding throw, the final deciding leg was thrown by Aspinall, and despite having match darts, it was Hopp who won 6–5.[8]

Aspinall was beaten 6–5 by Stuart Kellett in the second round of the 2016 UK Open.[9] At the sixth Players Championship he reached his first quarter-final on the main tour and narrowly lost 6–5 against Vincent van der Voort.[10] Aspinall qualified for his first Grand Slam of Darts, but could not get a win out of his group fixtures with Raymond van Barneveld, Mensur Suljović and Danny Noppert to finish bottom of his group.[11]

Aspinall won his first ranking PDC title in September 2018, beating Ryan Searle 6–4 in the final of the 18th Players Championship of the year, in Barnsley.[12] This victory helped him qualify for his first world championship, the 2019 PDC World Darts Championship. At the championship, Aspinall, a 500/1 outsider before the tournament,[13] defeated world number six Gerwyn Price,[14] Kyle Anderson,[15] Devon Petersen[16] and Brendan Dolan[17] on his way to the semi-finals, where he lost 6-3 to Michael Smith.

Following Gary Anderson's withdrawal from the 2019 Premier League, Aspinall was selected as one of nine 'contenders' to replace him. He would play a one-off match against Michael Smith on night six in Nottingham.

Aspinall won his first PDC major at the 2019 UK Open, defeating Toni Alcinas, Christian Kist, Madars Razma, Steve Lennon, Ross Smith and Gerwyn Price to reach the final, where he defeated Rob Cross 11–5 to take the title, securing the final leg with a 170 checkout.[18] The win took Aspinall into the top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit for the first time in his career.

Aspinall won the 2019 US Darts Masters, the first event on the 2019 World Series of Darts.[19] It was Aspinall's first World Series event, and the only one he was selected to compete in during the 2019 edition. [20] Aspinall averaged 107 in defeating Michael Smith 8-4 in the final. In the previous rounds, he beat Shawn Brenneman, Rob Cross, and Peter Wright. Aspinall won £20,000, and the win was only his second televised tournament win, after the 2019 UK Open.

He played in the 2019 World Matchplay for the first time, losing to Mervyn King 10-5 despite averaging 103, and he was also seeded, made him the first player to make his World Matchplay debut as a seed since Simon Whitlock in 2010.

World Championship results

PDC

Career finals

PDC major finals: 1 (1 title)
Legend
UK Open (1–0)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score[N 1] Ref.
Winner 1. 2019 UK Open Rob Cross 11–5 (l) [21]
  1. (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.

PDC minor finals: 1 (1 title)
Legend
World Series of Darts (1–0)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score
Winner 1. 2019 US Darts Masters Michael Smith 8–4 (l)

    Performance timeline
    Tournament201520162017201820192020
    PDC World Championship DNQ SF SF
    Masters DNQ SF
    UK Open 4R 2R DNQ 3R W 4R
    Premier League DNP
    World Matchplay DNQ 1R 1R
    World Grand Prix DNQ QF
    European Championship DNQ 1R DNQ 2R
    Grand Slam of Darts DNQ RR DNQ RR
    Players Championship Finals DNQ 2R 1R
    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 F lost in the final W won the tournament
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    gollark: Macron has undergone mitosis?

    References
    1. "2013 PDC Challenge Tour England Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    2. "PDC Qualifying School Day Four". PDC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    3. "2015 UK Open Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    4. "Dutch Darts Masters Day Two". PDC. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
    5. "2015 PDC Dutch Darts Masters Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    6. "PDC Unicorn Development Tour 7-8". PDC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    7. "Nathan Aspinall 2015". Darts Database. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    8. "World Youth Glory For Hopp". PDC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    9. "2016 Coral UK Open Day One". PDC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    10. "Payne Edges Out Wade For Maiden Title". PDC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    11. "2016 Grand Slam Of Darts Results". Darts Database. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
    12. "Nathan Aspinall wins Players Championship 18 in Barnsley". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    13. "Van Gerwen Favourite With William Hill". PDC. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    14. "Gerwyn Price beaten by Nathan Aspinall as PDC world darts shocks continue". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    15. "Aspinall continues ground breaking run with victory over Anderson to move through to last 16". Dartsnews. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    16. "Aspinall verslaat Petersen in absolute kraker op WK Darts". Sportnieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    17. Haigh, Phil. "Nathan Aspinall bludgeons Brendan Dolan to make PDC World Championship semi-final on debut". Metro. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
    18. Phillips, Josh. "2019 Ladbrokes UK Open Finals Day". PDC. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
    19. "Dafabet US Darts Masters Glory For Aspinall". PDC. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
    20. "Nathan Aspinall reacts to stunning US Darts Masters win on World Series debut". Metro. 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
    21. Phillips, Josh. "2019 Ladbrokes UK Open Finals Day". PDC. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
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