PDC Darts Championship: Fallon Sherrock beats Ted Evetts to make history

Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship by coming back from behind to stun Ted Evetts 3-2 in London.

Sherrock was BDO World Championship runner-up in 2015, and was cheered by the crowd throughout a superb contest at Alexandra Palace.

The 25-year-old fell 2-1 behind but brushed off earlier missed doubles to keep her composure and make history.

“I have proved that we can play the men and can beat them,” said Sherrock.

Sherrock, from Milton Keynes, was an outside 2,000-1 shot before the match to lift the trophy; she ended the night in joyful tears on stage after a thrilling victory over world number 77 Evetts.

She went into the tournament having claimed one of two places for female players in the 96-strong field. The other qualifier, Japan’s Mikuru Suzuki, took James Richardson to a deciding leg before losing 3-2 on Sunday.

After her victory, Sherrock was top trending on social media, and was serenaded with the chant “we love your Sherrock, we do” by the fans, who cheered every treble 20 she struck. She now faces Austria’s Mensur Suljovic in the second round.

“I am speechless. I don’t know what to say. Thank you every one,” she said. “I feel really happy because I have made something for women’s darts.

“I can’t believe it. To do that on the biggest stage, wow. I am so happy that I can continue it rather than go out.

“This is definitely one of the best moments I’ve had. I’m just so happy. I’ve just made history. I can’t believe it. I’ve made a great achievement for women’s darts.”

How the match unfolded

Sherrock, having won a leg with 106 checkout, left herself on 80 for the first set – but did not manage to leave herself a shot at a double with her final dart, allowing Evetts to take a 1-0 lead.

With the throw, she started the second set with a 13-dart leg, was on a nine-dart finish with six perfect throws but missed the seventh before taking the set with a cool 80 finish.

In the third set, Sherrock punished Evetts’ miss at double eight to break twice, but a missed dart at double eight and three more at double four proved extremely costly, as Evetts took the next two legs to go 2-1 up.

But she forced a decider and broke Evetts in the final set and held her throw to go 2-0 up, and though Evetts pulled a leg back, Sherrock coolly finished off the contest with double 18.

Monday results:

First round:

Ryan Searle (Eng) 3-2 Robbie King (Aus)

Cristo Reyes (Spa) 3-2 Lourence Ilagan (Phi)

Rowby-John Rodriguez (Aut) 0-3 Noel Malicdem (Phi)

Ritchie Edhouse (Eng) 3-1 Boris Koltsov (Rus)

Jose De Sousa (Por) 0-3 Damon Heta (Aus)

Ted Evetts (Eng) 2-3 Fallon Sherrock (Eng)

Second round:

Jeffrey de Zwaan (Ned) v Darin Young (US)

Krzysztof Ratajski (Pol) 3-1 Zoran Lerchbacher (Aut)