FALLON Sherrock is a woman who knows what she wants. And what she wants is to carry on defeating men at darts.
The 28-year-old from Milton Keynes in the heart of England, smashed the glass ceiling in the traditionally male-dominated sport when she became the first female to win a match at the Professional Darts Corporation World Championships at Alexandra Palace at the 2020 championships.
She went on to beat then world No.11 Mensur Suljovic in round two before losing to Chris Dobey.
Sherrock earned the nickname ‘The Queen of the Palace’ after her world championship exploits and she continued to rewrite the record books, becoming the first woman to reach the last 16 of a major darts tournament (the Grand Slam of Darts) and the first to reach a World Series of Darts final at the Nordic Darts Masters last year.
The history-making continued in Blackpool last weekend when she won the inaugural Women’s Matchplay, defeating Aileen De Graf in the final.
While Sherrock is determined to do her best to promote the women’s game, she is more than happy to carry on the battle of the sexes as she prepares to head Down Under for the World Series events in Townsville and Wollongong in August.
“I’m trying my best to promote the women’s game the best I can,” Sherrock said.
“But at the end of the day, as well, it’s the other women that have got to help support me as well.
“Lisa (four-time BDO women’s world champion) Ashton is helping, but we need that gap closing. It is closing, but as soon as it closes a lot more, then women’s darts will excel.
“I don’t think I’d be happy with just a women’s competition, and I like the fact we can play against the men as well.
“I feel I play better. There’s more adrenaline running, and I know what to expect whereas with the women, they are a little more inconsistent with their averages and standard of play and I don’t know what to expect.”
Sherrock will head Down Under as one of the most recognisable players on the PDC circuit because of her history-making exploits.
But there have been some who say she should not have a place at the World Series because she hasn’t earned a PDC tour card.
Sherrock hit back at those detractors, saying her performances earned her the right to play at the World Series: “Things like that don’t bother me anymore. I think to myself ‘when I won the world championship games, that is how I earned my place’.
“I have played games this year that haven’t been brilliant. But I have proved what I can do, and I think I have earned it.”
Sherrock will play alongside the likes of world No.1 Gerwyn Price, newly crowned World Matchplay champion Michael van Gerwen, and reigning World Series of Darts Finals winner Jonny Clayton when the World Series of Darts roadshow rolls into Townsville on August 12-13 and Wollongong a week later before the tour heads to Hamilton in New Zealand.
The PDC stars will take on the likes of Australia’s World Cup-winning duo Simon Whitlock and Damon Heta and UK-based Aussie Gordon Mathers.
Sherrock knows it won’t be easy, but has set her goals for the three-week tour, especially after a disappointing showing at the US Masters at Madison Square Garden in New York in June.
“Just to play well, maybe win a few games to try and see as far as I can get,” she said.
“If I get to the final again brilliant, if I win one, awesome.
“I know where I went wrong in New York. So that will not be happening again in Australia. “I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself and just enjoy it.”
Sherrock is hoping the Australian crowds will get behind her, even though she will be taking on the home favourites.
She said winning the World Matchplay had taken some pressure off and she just wanted to put on a good show for the crowds Down Under.
“I’m just hoping I can hit a lot of 180s and have high finishes,” Sherrock said.
“I want to get the crowd behind me, make them roar, and make the atmosphere electric.
“I want a good performance to make everyone else’s night enjoyable and mine.
“I’d rather play the person who the crowd isn’t on the side of. But I’m happy with whoever I get because I know it will be a really good game.”
Sherrock has not been to Australia before and does not know what to expect from crowds in Townsville and Wollongong.
“I’m just excited to see what darts is like over there and how the audience enjoys the darts,” she said.
“It’s different everywhere you go.
“New York is different from Copenhagen and that is different from Holland.
“So, I’m excited to see how the reaction is over there. “I also want to see a bit of Australia itself.
“I want to see a koala or let’s say an animal that I can’t see over here and just kind of embrace the experience.
“I also want to make a good account of myself.
“I want to do loads of stuff. But I’m still there to play darts. So, this time I am literally going to take the opportunity and run with it.”
By Phil Dillon
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