"I am playing one of the best in the world. That is an achievement in itself so I'm really looking forward to that game"
Saturday 21 December 2019 20:58, UK
Fallon Sherrock has parachuted herself to darting superstardom after making World Championship history at Alexandra Palace.
The 25-year-old became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship on Tuesday, coming from 2-1 down to defeat Development Tour winner Ted Evetts 3-2 in a captivating contest.
Sherrock's triumph has given the sport unprecedented media coverage, with the Milton Keynes ace hitting the headlines worldwide.
The morning after her sensational success, Sherrock visited the Good Morning Britain studios and appeared on most major TV and radio stations in the UK, before conducting interviews for the international press.
Sherrock's ground-breaking victory has seen her become an overnight sensation, with Billie Jean King among those offering congratulations on social media, where her following rocketed within a matter of hours.
The video of her victory posted by the PDC on Twitter has received almost six million views and it is arguably the sport's biggest story since Raymond van Barneveld beat Phil Taylor in that famous 2007 final.
Although Sherrock's stock has risen rapidly, she has been an established figure in the women's game for a number of years.
She grew up in a darting environment. Her parents both played darts, as did her twin sister, Felicia. She started playing as a teenager with the Buckinghamshire County darts team and made an immediate impression.
Sherrock became part of the England youth team before being crowned the WDF World Cup 2011 girls singles champion at the age of just 17.
In 2012 she was crowned Girls World Masters winner and followed that up with success in the British Classic a year later.
She made her BDO World Championship debut in 2014 - succumbing to Anastasia Dobromyslova in the quarter-finals, although her genuine breakthrough came in 2015 as she progressed to her first Lakeside final.
Sherrock set a new women's World Championship record by hitting five 180s in her semi-final clash against Dobromyslova in 2015, before bettering that tally in her 3-1 defeat against Lisa Ashton in the final.
Her prolific scoring remains an integral feature of her game - evidenced in the win over Evetts where she piled in six maximums and 19 140s - but now she has developed the composure to boot.
"Obviously I've always been able to score heavily but the fact I can take the finishing with it now, I'm just amazed by it. I can't believe what I've just done. I've just made history," Sherrock told the Darts Show podcast after her victory.
“Mikuru definitely inspired me the other night when she got down to one leg away. I believed in myself that I was capable of doing it. "
However, it has not all been plain sailing for the 25-year-old. Five years ago Sherrock gave birth to her son Rory and, shortly afterwards, she developed kidney disease.
The prescribed medication had a number of side effects, including causing her face to swell in a condition known as 'moon face'.
As well as having to contend with these health issues, Sherrock was also subjected to cruel online abuse, but she simply let her darts do the talking in the face of sustained adversity.
Following a barren spell in 2016, Sherrock returned to the winners' circle with three ranking titles in 2017, before enjoying a trophy-laden 2018; scooping 10 titles, including her biggest triumph to date - The BDO World Trophy.
She has pocketed another three titles in 2019 and has also featured on the PDC Challenge Tour - reaching the last 64 in two of the eight events she has competed in.
Sherrock went to the PDC Qualifying School last year but was unable to claim a Tour Card, with four-time women's world champion Ashton falling agonisingly short of sealing a full-time spot on the PDC Tour.
Nevertheless, with the growing uncertainty surrounding the British Darts Organisation, there could be a record number of female entrants attending Qualifying School in 2020 and Sherrock will be one of those.
"I spoke to my manager before I played. I asked him if I could go to Q-School because I really enjoyed doing the Challenge Tour last year. He said yes, so I'm going to be going to Q-School."
Sherrock's historic win has shattered the glass ceiling within the game, although PDC chairman Barry Hearn has consistently reaffirmed that darts is truly a "gender-neutral" sport with zero barriers.
The former Lakeside finalist has been rewarded for her exploits with a wildcard spot in next year's World Series of Darts event in New York - which will see her become the first woman to feature in the global roadshow.
In the aftermath of Tuesday's victory, the right-handed thrower insisted that women will only improve if provided with further opportunities. Those opportunities are now forthcoming.
Sherrock has guaranteed herself a minimum of £15,000 by virtue of reaching the second round at Ally Pally, which is £3,000 more than she would have received for winning last year's women's world title.
That vast disparity in prize money within the respective codes illustrates the significance of Sherrock's success, the scale of which will perhaps not be acknowledged for some time.
Despite this, Sherrock's task now is to recover from the euphoria and media frenzy and focus on her second-round tussle, with 11th-seed Mensur Suljovic awaiting on Saturday evening.
Premier League star Suljovic - winner of the Champions League of Darts in 2017 - is one of the most consistent operators on the circuit, yet Sherrock is relishing the prospect of rubbing shoulders with one of the world's best.
"There's probably not going to be as much pressure on the next game. I can relax and just play my own darts," she added.
"I am playing one of the best in the world. That is an achievement in itself, so I'm really looking forward to that game."
It has been an incredible start to this year's showpiece, with 2018 world champion Rob Cross and last year's finalist Michael Smith crashing out at the first hurdle, along with Van Barneveld's career coming to an emotional conclusion.
Nevertheless, they are not the big story. Sherrock's win has captured the sporting imagination and the anticipation of her second-round tie is already tangible.
Irrespective of the result against Suljovic, Sherrock's impact has been seismic. Sh has dispelled the misconception that women are unable to compete against their male counterparts and her performance will surely inspire a new generation of female talent.
Underneath her shy persona is incredible determination and genuine self-belief in her prodigious talent which were showcased throughout her clash against Evetts, who carried himself with the utmost class.
Sherrock's career is only in its infancy in darting terms, yet she has forged a legacy that few of her more seasoned peers could boast.
There are a multitude of chapters still to be written and the new face of the women's game will be hoping the next will be penned this weekend, where the eyes of the sporting world will be firmly on the 'People's Palace'.
Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. Don't miss a throw on Sky Sports Darts with live coverage from Alexandra Palace until the final on New Year's Day.
