The Grand Slam of Darts: Wayne Jones

Wayne Jones

Published: Tuesday, 30 October 2007, 2:26PM


Name: Wayne Jones
Nickname: The Wanderer
Date of Birth: 24/04/1965
Place of Birth: Wolverhampton
Home Town: Wolverhampton
Darts Used: 17g Nickel Tungsten

Wayne's career on the circuit has spanned 20 years, although he has come to the fore since reaching the semi-finals at the 2006 World Championship.

A qualifier for the 1987 World Masters, it was at that event in 1999 where he made his name in reaching the final, where he lost to Andy Fordham.

Fordham also defeated Jones on his Embassy Championship debut in 2001, although he would reach the quarter-finals a year later but lose to Martin Adams.

A quarter-finalist in the World Darts Trophy in 2002, he also qualified for a debut in a PDC event at the World Grand Prix, where he lost to Dennis Smith in round one.

A finalist in the UK Open North-East Regional Final in early 2003, he reached the last eight in the inaugural UK Open finals before losing to Paul Williams.

Jones would be a last 64 loser at Bolton the following year, against Colin Monk, but qualified for the 2005 PDC World Championship, going out to Kevin Painter in round three.

He lost to Ronnie Baxter in the final of the Eastbourne Open, but suffered another last 64 exit in the UK Open, this time to Andy Smith.

His rise up the world rankings had taken him into the world's top 40 by the time he qualified for the 2006 World Championship, where he defeated James Wade, Andy Jenkins, Steve Alker and Gary Welding to reach the semi-finals, where he lost to Peter Manley.

By the summer of 2006, Jones had broken into the top 32, but was a last 32 loser in the UK Open, to Barrie Bates, and missed out in the qualifiers for the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix as well as being unable to travel to the Las Vegas Desert Classic due to his duties as a single parent to three daughters.

He suffered a second round exit to Adrian Lewis in the 2007 World Championship, but two quarter-finals on the circuit were followed by runs to the last 16 of the US Open and UK Open, although Dutch duo Roland Scholten and Raymond van Barneveld were his conquerors.

His World Matchplay debut ended in a defeat to Wade in round one, while Andy Jenkins knocked him out at the same stage in the World Grand Prix and he was a Grand Slam of Darts group stage victim.

The 2008 World Championship ended early with a first round loss to Tony Eccles, but he hit form away from the television cameras by reaching one final and at least the quarter-finals three times on the PDC Pro Tour.

He also won through to the quarter-finals of the UK Open before losing to Gary Mawson, although Wade would again deny him in the World Matchplay.

Mervyn King would end Jones' hopes in both the World Grand Prix and European Championship, although he won through to the quarter-finals at the German Darts Championship before losing to Taylor.

Robert Thornton condemned Jones to another first round exit at the 2009 World Championship, but he overcame Terry Jenkins in the Players Championship Finals before losing to Ronnie Baxter in the last 16.

Four quarter-finals and a semi-final on the PDC Pro Tour were a strong start to 2009 for Jones, who then lost in the final of the UK Open West Midlands Regional Final to Taylor, going down 6-5 but having chances to claim a first ranking title.

He would reach three more semis before the UK Open, where he lost to Colin Osborne in the last 32, while defeat by Colin Lloyd saw him lose out in round one at the World Matchplay for a third straight year.