Fallon Sherrock missed her chance to break the internet on a date with Luke Littler but she is ready to rock the casbah again on Thursday night. Twelve months ago, the Queen of the Palace suffered a narrow defeat by barber Ryan Meikle at the World Darts Championship, knowing the boy king awaited the winner in the second round.
Since the twin earthquakes she caused six years ago, when her wins against Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic were the first by a woman at the tournament, Sherrock has missed the boat at Ally Pally more than holidaymakers heading for Dover marooned by traffic jams. But her meeting with Dave Chisnall, who was ranked fifth in the world as recently as last year but lately out of form, is her big chance to keep it regal again.
And Sherrock admits she has been frustrated by her failure to catch the wave of those seismic wins against Evetts and Suljovic, which earned her congratulatory messages from tennis icon Billie Jean King as a standard-bearer for women’s sport.
She said: « Last year it was hard because obviously everyone wants to play Littler, don’t they? I was a bit gutted really when I lost to Ryan, but it’s one of them, either it happens or it doesn’t.
« At least I gave it my best shot. But yeah, I would have loved to play Littler. I don’t know what would have happened, but I would have loved the opportunity and I know everyone would have loved it, especially Sky.
« It is frustrating (not to win at Ally Pally since 2019) because I never think I played that bad. Obviously you need a little bit of luck as well. You just need someone to falter or you hit the big scores at the right time.
« Hopefully this is the year I can get that win again because it’s such a great feeling, especially hearing all the audience. Am I due to win one at Ally Pally? Hope so. Well, yes, I am.
« My game is there so I’m a little bit more confident this time. If it happens, It happens. If it doesn’t happen, then at least I still got fans behind me that keep supporting me.
« But I’ve always said I’d rather be under the radar because I’ve always been that person to just kind of slip through the net and kind of do something special and not expect it. »
Sherrock, now 31, split up with partner Cameron Menzies earlier this year but her long-term kidney condition, which forced her to consider taking a break from darts in 2026, appears to be under control again and even the online pond life are trolling other targets now.
She said: « I remember when everyone was like hating on me and I was like, ‘I’ve not done anything.’ But it seems everyone’s like focusing on other players at the moment and all the keyboard warriors are going towards them, so they have left me alone a little bit.
« But I feel 100 per cent better than what I did. I don’t want to jinx anything but I definitely feel a bit more energetic, more positive in myself and a lot less tired. »
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