Nathan Aspinall headed into the 2019 William Hill World Darts Championship as a 500/1 outsider with the sponsors, but the Stockport thrower is well on his way to causing one of the biggest shocks in darts history by lifting the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy on January 1.
The 27-year-old booked his quarter-final spot with a battling 4-3 win over Devon Petersen at the Alexandra Palace on Friday afternoon and now faces a semi-final clash against either Benito van de Pas or Brendan Dolanm, who meet in another intriguing last-16 tie.
So, while the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and reigning champion Rob Cross remain in the competition, it's Aspinall that has launched into the limelight and his rise through the rankings gives all amateur players a huge lift as they look to make a name for themselves in darts.
Only in January was Aspinall forced to head to Qualifying School in Wigan to battle it out for a PDC Tour card, but having achieved that qualifying spot he has gone from strength to strength, with his progression being broadcast on the biggest stage of all.
Having found his feet on the PDC Tour, Aspinall bagged a coveted win in the Players Championship in September of this year, and he has used that victory over Ryan Searle as a stepping stone to his fantastic run in this year's World Darts Championship.
A 3-2 win over Geert Nentjes in the first round saw him set up a second round tie with Gerwyn Price and 'The Asp' was able to just outbattle the fancied Welshman to land another narrow 3-2 victory. A comfortable 4-1 win over Kyle Anderson in the third round secured his spot in the fourth round, and he showed when coming from two sets behind to beat Devon Petersen 4-3 that he has tremendous steel when under pressure, and who knows how far he shall go.
The Sportsman caught up with Nathan Aspinall earlier in the year, so check out our exclusive chat with the current World Darts Championship Quarter Finalist.
