Fallon Sherrock will return to the Winter Gardens in Blackpool for the Women's World Matchplay as the defending champion. Due to the recent success of her rivals however, 'the Queen of the Palace' is going somewhat under the radar.
“I don’t think anybody is expecting me to win these titles anymore,” said Sherrock to the PDC's official website. Over the weekend however, Sherrock did indeed take a title, her first of 2023 as she claimed the win at Event 10 on the PDC
Women's Series. The other three titles of the weekend though, were taken by the dominant force in women's darts,
Beau Greaves.
“All the eyes are on Mikuru [Suzuki] and Beau [Greaves], who is literally on fire at the moment," Sherrock continues, full of praise for her counterparts. “I remember speaking to Robyn [Byrne] in Milton Keynes and I said to her: ‘You’re playing really well, just keep going because something has got to give. As soon as I said that she went and won the next title! Rhian O’Sullivan is playing really well, and you can’t forget Aileen de Graaf and Lisa Ashton who are fighting to keep up there."
Sherrock defeated de Graaf in the final of the inaugural Women's World Matchplay last year. Even in only the near twelve months since that landmark moment in female darts, Sherrock believes the game has come on leaps and bounds.
“I think the standard of the women’s game is only increasing, and in a couple of years’ time we’re going to see more women come through," she concludes. "Which is what we all want.”