Fallon Sherrock has been rewarded for her historic achievements at the PDC World Championship with a place in all of next year’s World Series of Darts events, while the 25-year-old from Milton Keynes could also compete in the 2020 Premier League after the governing body announced a new qualifying system.
Sherrock became the first woman to win a match at the sport’s biggest tournament, beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic before losing to Chris Dobey in the third round. Having already been confirmed for the 2020 US Darts Masters event in New York, Fallon has now been included in the remaining five international World Series events that will be held in Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and the double-header in Australia.
“I’m so excited to be given this opportunity and I can’t wait to play on the World Series next year,” Sherrock said. “Being included in just the US Darts Masters was amazing enough but to now be able to go worldwide is something I could only dream of.”
The PDC has also confirmed that the 2020 Premier League will feature nine ‘challengers’ in a move which potentially opens the door for Sherrock to feature. Last year’s competition included nine ‘contenders’ for the first time after Gary Anderson was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a back injury. The PDC has decided to use the system again, although rebranded as ‘challengers’, and it may allow for the inclusion of Sherrock.
Meanwhile Michael Van Gerwen stayed on track for a fourth PDC World Darts title after beating Lithuania’s Denis Labanauskas in a hard-fought quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen claimed a 5-2 triumph after a match which was briefly interrupted when his opponent sustained an unusual finger injury early in the third set of the match. Labanauskas, who had taken the opener to threaten a surprise, drew blood after accidentally stabbing himself with a dart, but showed no ill effects after the brief interruption. Peter Wright, Nathan Aspinall and the third seed, Gerwyn Price, who cruised to a 5-1 win over Glen Durrant, completed the semi-final line-up.