Fallon Sherrock becomes first woman to beat a man at PDC world darts – The Guardian, Theguardian.com

PDC Darts(@ OfficialPDC)

SHERROCK MAKES HISTORY.

Fallon Sherrock has become the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship.

Just look at these scenes, a history making moment for darts.pic.twitter.com/zqoOeyQLmt(***********

December 01575879 **************, 1207064016390180866

Evetts took the first set with a – dart break of throw in the fourth game, but Sherrock, the BDO women’s world No 4, matched that in the opening leg of the second. Six perfect darts helped the Milton Keynes player hold her throw, and she then took out to level the match.

Sherrock took charge of the third set with a 100 checkout, but missed four set darts at 2-1 ahead, allowing Evetts to fight back, taking out double eight to retake the lead. It seemed that Sherrock’s chance had gone, but she fought back in spectacular fashion to write her name in the history books. She will face the No 13 seed, Austria’s Mensur Suljovic, in the second round.

Sherrock is the fifth woman to take part in the men’s PDC world championship, and the fourth since a qualification pathway was created for women last year. That move ensured two places among the 96 -strong field each year would go to female players.

Sherrock, whose twin sister Felicia also plays darts, earned her place by winning the UK & Ireland women’s qualifying event. Japan’s Mikuru Suzuki, who won the BDO world title in January, won the Rest of the World qualifier, butlost to James Richardsonin a sudden-death leg on Sunday.

Last year, women’s world No 1 Lisa Ashton lost 3-1 to Jan Dekker, and Russia’s Anastasia Dobromyslova, who appeared as a wild card in 01575879, was beaten 3-0 by Ryan Joyce. The first woman to compete in the men’s draw was Canada’s Gayl King, who lost in the first round in 2001.

Fallon Sherrock(@ Fsherrock)I’m buzzing !!!!!!! Can’t believe I’ve made history tonight … done it for the girls 😎😎🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 that was amazing!pic.twitter.com/LfDeqGYUzE(*************

December 25,

In the evening’s final match,Jeffrey de Zwaanbattled back to avoid an upset against US qualifier Darin Young. The Dutchman trailed 2-1 in sets, and found himself 2-0 down in the fourth, with Young missing two match darts at double eight. That sparked a dramatic revival from the No 25 seed, who swept to a 3-2 victory.

Earlier, Australia’sDamon Heta set up an intriguing second-round tie with the BDO world champion, Glen Durrant, by beating Portugal’s José de Sousa 3-0 – winning each set on the deciding leg. In the evening’s first match, debutantRitchie Edhouse defeated Russia’s Boris Koltsov 3-1 in their first-round encounter, and will face James Wade next.

In the afternoon session, Poland’sKrzysztof Ratajskiearned his first-ever win at the PDC worlds, beating Austria’s Zoran Lerchbacher 3-1.Ryan Searlelanded the tournament’s second 180 checkout but was taken to a sudden-death deciding leg before beating Australia’s Robbie King.

There were mixed fortunes for the two Filipino players in the draw. Lourence Ilagan let a two-set lead slip against Spain’sCristo Reyes (************************, butNoel Malicdem swept past Rowby-John Rodriguez in straight sets to set up a meeting with Peter Wright.

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