Wayne Jones' best-run of 2016 in the PDC
Wolverhampton's Wayne Jones heads overseas this week on the back of his best run of 2016 in PDC competition.
Jones is on the rise in the rankings after getting to the quarter-final in a Players Championship tournament last weekend,
He had managed to bank just £500 over four Players Championship outings until reaching the second round and last eight in the last two events, all held at the Barnsley Metrodome.
Those exploits - which netted him £2,750 - have taken him to 51st on the Order of Merit and to 54th in the Pro Tour rankings.
He'll get, at least, another £1,000 this week just for taking part in the PDC's third European Tour event of the year, the Gibraltar Open which starts on Friday.
Both he and Stourbridge's Nick Fullwell are part of the field at the Salzburg Arena, having qualified in March.
Jones took on fellow West Midlands thrower Matthew Dennant in the first of two Players Championship tournaments last weekend, coming out on top 6-4.
He then extended Dutchman Jelle Klassen to the last leg, before bowing out. Fullwell also lost 6-5, eliminated by Dean Winstanley.
They returned to the venue 24 hours later for Sunday's second competition, where Fullwell and Dennant failed to get past the first hurdle.
Fullwell, without a Pro Tour card but playing as a PDPA associate member, was beaten 6-3 by Darren Johnson, while Dennant was vanquished 6-2 by Jermaine Wattimena.
Jones' year-best progress first saw him drop just a leg against Ross Smith, prevailing 6-1. Simon Whitlock was then downed 6-3.
An 6-0 whitewash of Vincent van der Voort was impressive, as was a 6-1 drubbing of Ian White. Only Dave Chisnall could halt his challenge, 6-2.
Tipton's Jamie Hughes also reached the semi-final in the BDO Denmark Open last Saturday, before Darius Labanauskas exacted his revenge.
England international Hughes, after his seventh ranking title, had seen off Danny Noppert 4-1 to set up a last four rematch with Labanauskas.
The Lithuanian avenged last year's World Masters second round collapse to Hughes, who was soundly beaten 5-1. Labanauskas beat Davy van Baelen 6-5 in the final to claim the spoils.
