Fallon Sherrock on her Premier League chances, Gerwyn Price and making more history ahead of the PDC World Darts Championship

Fallon Sherrock has created so many memorable moments this year that she even forgot about the 170 checkout everyone else remembers most.

The Queen of the Palace has continually hit the darting headlines over the past few months with her achievements at the Nordic Darts Masters and the Grand Slam of Darts, but her sensational finish to beat Gabriel Clemens transcended sport and went viral on social media.

It completed a stirring and history-making comeback from 3-1 down to seal a 5-3 victory that saw her become the first woman to reach the knockout stages of a tournament in which she’d set other records.

In a 5-0 thumping of Mike de Decker she posted the highest ever televised average for a woman of 101.55 while she also thrashed Ally Pally victim Mensur Suljovic 10-5 and averaged almost 100 in a high-class 16-13 defeat to Peter Wright in the quarter-finals.

These performances arguably eclipsed what she managed at September’s Nordic Darts Masters, where she came from 8-2 down to stun Dimitri Van den Bergh 11-10 in the semi-finals before giving Michael van Gerwen a real scare in an 11-7 defeat.

Asked how she’d rank a top three in 2021, the Milton Keynes star told Sporting Life: "The performance against Michael van Gerwen has to be in my top three this season because that gave me a real confidence boost about the level I can perform at.

"Then the match against Peter Wright has to go in there because that made me realise that I can average around 100 for as long as 29 legs. I’ve also got to include my performance against Mike De Decker because that was my record 100 average and I just played so well to win 5-0."

When prompted about ‘that’ magic moment against Clemens, Sherrock said: "Oh yeah, the 170! I’ll scrap the Peter Wright match and we’ll put the 170 checkout at the top. How could I have forgotten that one!"

The display Sherrock scrapped from the list was the one that impressed eventual Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price the most and made him realise just how good she can become at the highest level.

During the group stages of Grand Slam of Darts, the world champion had initially mocked Wayne Mardle’s claims that the 27-year-old should be included in the Premier League as early as next season, but speaking to us before his Ally Pally campaign, Price admitted he was surprised by what Sherrock produced against Wright.

He said: "Everyone can see she’s a fantastic player but I’ll be honest, I didn’t think she had that standard of game in her over that distance, so fair play.

"To run Peter so close, to beat Mensur again and to blow Mike de Dekker away 5-0 proves she’s got the game. It’s just whether she can do it week in, week out against all these great players on the Pro Tour if she earns her card – and then on stage regularly.

"She’s got no scars at the moment and just playing freely. She’s definitely got the game and if she earns her spot on the Tour then I’m sure she’ll do really well. I hope she does get her Tour Card and I hope she does play with us week in, week out because she’s got the game."

• Read: World Championship draw, schedule & results
• Read: Should Fallon Sherrock be in the Premier League
• Read: Gerwyn Price exclusive interview

Sherrock was encouraged to hear such comments, saying: "It’s a privilege to have the world champion talking about you anyway, especially when it’s about my 100 averages, and makes me feel even more proud about what I’ve achieved.

"If they know what I can do it makes me more relaxed knowing I don’t have to prove myself all the time."

Price is still not convinced Sherrock deserves a Premier League spot just yet and reckons she’d need to reach the World Championship final, but the 27-year-old said: "I’m sure he meant I’d just need to beat him!

"I don’t know the criteria to get selected but if I beat him in the third round it would be guaranteed that I’ve earned a Tour Card so surely that’s enough to be considered anyway. I’d technically (have) done what they’ve all done by being on the Tour."

Sherrock ready for 'big exhibition'

While there’s no doubting Sherrock's marketability and popularity would warrant a spot, some doubt whether she’s ready as a player for such a huge tournament that is usually comprised of the top 10 in the world.

"I’d never turn it down if I got invited and I do actually think I’m ready. I know some people say it can make or break a player but I believe it only breaks someone if they think too much about it. Everyone tries so hard to be selected but it’s not a ranking tournament. It’s a big exhibition event so if you’re privileged to be included you should just go and enjoy it.

“I feel I can play to the standards they do and can hit those 100 averages so I’d just go and enjoy it and take it for what it was. I’d probably have my best performances in that environment. The last time I played in it as a Challenger I drew with Glen Durrant who ended up winning it. I’d love the opportunity to do it again."

As Sherrock says, a victory over Price in round three of the World Championship would lift her into the world’s top 64 and guarantee a PDC Tour Card for next season without needing to go through Q School and she feels competing against the best week in week out will get her to an even higher level sooner than later.

Sherrock has so far played 15 matches against men in televised events – winning seven and drawing once – while she’s won almost half of the 211 legs played and averaged just over 91.

She said: "If I can get the tour card it will make my game better and stronger. When I play the men you know you’ve got to take every chance and can’t afford to ever miss. It’ll be interesting to see what my averages would be this time next year if I was on the tour, I’m sure it would improve a lot."

Price in Sherrock's sights

Getting to the third round to face Price will be hard enough, let alone creating her biggest fairytale yet by defeating him.

She said: "Two years ago I had an ambition to play Mensur Suljovic so after I beat Ted Evetts, I then changed that to play Glen Durrant. I beat Mensur but Chris Dobey took out Glen to take that chance away.

"This year I’m desperate to play the PDC world champion and see if I can give him a run for his money."

As incredible as her achievements were against Ted Evetts and Suljovic two years ago, she feels her performances this season have eclipsed here Queen of the Palace coronation.

She said: "I think what’s happened this year perhaps takes over what happened at the Ally Pally a little bit because I’ve shown that I can produce great darts consistently. It’s not just one tournament or one match.

"The performances over the past few months have boosted my confidence and made me realise to what level of performance I can play on big stages. It’s a totally different feeling to last time because I’m better prepared, mentally focused and have an ambition to go even further and play the world champion. That would be a privilege in itself.

"I don’t feel any pressure. If anything I feel more confident and comfortable than two years ago because I’ve proved it so many times. All the pressures and expectations from others I’ve put to the back of my mind and I’ll worry about all that after I’ve come off the stage.

"As soon as my glasses go on and I’m on that stage, I block everything else out."

History-maker has sights set on trophies

The unflappable Sherrock is beginning to normalise women beating men at darts and believes it’s perfectly plausible that one day there will be a female winner of the World Championship.

She said: "I just want to be known as Fallon Sherrock the good darts player rather than for being a woman beating a man. It will take a while for that to happen because it’s still new and treated like a massive deal.

"It will eventually calm down but I just want to be seen as a good dart player. I don’t see why a woman couldn’t win the world title. At the moment me and Lisa can hit 100 averages so there’s no reason why we can’t keep progressing to the point where one of us has the trophy in our hands.

"I can win it this year. If I play like I can and keep my composure, then why not?"

First up – and two matches before a potential meeting with Gerwyn Price – is a clash with the legendary Steve Beaton, who will be making a record 31st successive appearance in a World Championship.

While Sherrock is excited about such a headline-grabbing showdown, she won’t be expecting or hoping the crowd go against the Bronzed Adonis.

She said: "I’ve really excited to play Steve, he’s a legend in the game and so iconic. It’s another person I get to play who is such a big name – I love rising to the occasion and producing my best game against them.

"I’m happy playing him or anyone I come up against. I know on my day I can beat anyone because I can hit 100 averages the same as them.

"I’m always going to go into every game feeling confident – if you don’t then you can’t succeed. Even if I’m averaging 90 and my opponent is averaging 110 I always feel like I have a chance. At no point do I give up.

"I never like any of my opponents to be booed but hearing all the positive chanting of my name is an incredible feeling. I used to watch darts when I was younger and always wondered what it would be like and now I have my own little fanbase. I love it and I thank all of them."

Sherrock has also been juggling her practice with school run duties this week but her seven-year-old son Rory will only be interested in her exploits at the Ally Pally if she hits one of her trademark bullseyes – like she did to beat Suljovic two years ago and to complete that magical 170 checkout against Clemens.

She said: "Rory doesn’t even acknowledge the darts at the moment! The only thing he’s interested in is whether I’ve hit a bullseye. Every time I get home from a tournament he asks ‘did you hit a bullseye’ and if I say ‘no, but I won’ he’s disappointed in me!"

• The 2021/22 William Hill World Darts Championship will be shown on Sky Sports from December 15-January 3.

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