The glass ceiling has been broken, but Fallon Sherrock wants to go even higher.
Before the inspirational English woman toed the Alexandra Palace oche earlier this week, no female had ever defeated a male at the World Darts Championships. Considered a faraway fantasy, an improbable impossibility, it was tipped to happen some time down the line, but we weren’t ready yet.
Ted Evetts fell that night, after a lethal display from Sherrock, but he must feel a hell of a lot better less than a week on.
On Tuesday, the night of Evetts’ landmark defeat, the keyboard warriors were out. The impressive English youngster copped his fair share of flak, as he lost and took on the seemingly unflattering mantle of being the first man ever to fall to a woman.
By Saturday, a dose of hindsight had cleared the muddied waters. Unflattering? You’re having a laugh. Evetts did well to keep Sherrock under pressure it transpired, with the Milton Keynes thrower one of the in-form players of this tournament thanks to her dead-eyed double shots and unflinching focus.
The bulls-eye to win it just caps this incredible moment off…
Iconic from Fallon Sherrock, a sporting history maker 🎯pic.twitter.com/5hPWx3wbNU
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 22, 2019
Mensur Suljovic has played in 11 World Darts Championships and he’s the World number 11. Come Saturday night, he was jumping around the oche like a spoiled child, taken aback by the sheer madness of it all. Out of his rhythm and unable to keep up.
Sherrock set a blistering pace and she finished him off in four sets, only missing five doubles the whole match long and checking out any time she seemed to be under pressure.
This is a sporting fairytale but there’s no reason why Sherrock can’t keep it going. She’s throwing darts as good as any of them in this tournament.
@Fsherrock class 🔥
— Ted Evetts (@SuperTed180) December 21, 2019
“I have just proved that we can beat anyone,” she said afterwards. I have beaten two of the best players in the world. If that doesn’t show that women can play darts, I don’t know what will…”
As for winning the tournament outright, the 250/1 shot is unfazed by anything. Those odds seem like decent value now.
“Why not? I have won two games, I am just going to take each game as it comes but there is nothing to say that I can’t. I am going to try…”
A former hairdresser, this rise to history making sporting fame marks some rise for Sherrock, who was the victim of torrid online abuse in 2014. Back then, she had a kidney operation which caused her face to swell and the trolls went after her. As a result, she can no longer drink and must remain hydrated at all times on stage.
Who’s laughing now, as Phil Taylor congratulated her on her remarkable darts five years on.
Absolutely brilliant stuff from @Fsherrock now onto the next one well done really chuffed for you.
— Phil Taylor (@PhilTaylor) December 21, 2019
Chris Dobey is next up on the 27th. God knows Chris will be having a restless Christmas.
