Strong showing from Roy in Players Championship (From Watford Observer)

Alex Roy reaches quarter-finals of Spanish Darts Players Championship

10:33am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Local Sport

Alex Roy reached the quarter-finals of the Spanish Darts Classic Players Championship in Benidorm on Sunday.

The Ace of Herts reached the last-eight of a Players Championship for the first time since 2008. Roy was eventually beaten 6-5 by world number three James Wade despite holding a 5-3 lead.

In the first round, Watford's Roy beat Mervyn King 6-5 before thrashing Jose de Sousa 6-0. He edged out Shaun Griffiths 6-5 in the third round before winning by the same scoreline against Vincent van der Voort.

Abbots Langley's Mark Walsh suffered a 6-4 third round defeat to Darren Johnson after victories over Guillermo Corella and Michael Mansell.

Wade proved Roy's nemesis all weekend after he was beaten 6-4 by him in the third round of Saturday's event in Benidorm. But Roy did manage an impressive 6-4 win over Kevin Painter in the second round having previously beaten Rudy van der Zande.

Walsh fared better on Saturday as he lost to finalist Paul Nicholson 6-3 in the last-eight. 'Special Brew' earned a scalp in the fourth round after toppling Raymond van Barneveld 6-5. In the previous match, Walsh beat Joe Cullen 6-2 and he also won by the same score against Brendan Dolan. Walsh had started the event with a 6-4 win over Mensur Suljovic.