Fallon Sherrock is first woman to beat a man at World Darts C'ship
Fallon Sherrock believes she is capable of beating any male player after making history by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship.
Roared on by the London crowd yesterday morning (Singapore time), the 25-year-old came from behind to beat 77th-ranked Ted Evetts.
The historic win came two days after Japan's Mikuru Suzuki, the only other female player in the first-round draw, came agonisingly close to beating James Richardson.
Sherrock, only the fifth woman to play at the event, had secured one of two guaranteed places for female players in the 96-strong field that were introduced by darts supremo Barry Hearn.
The former hairdresser recovered from losing the opening set to overcome 22-year-old Evetts 3-2, scoring six maximum 180s, averaging 91.12, in the first-round contest at London's Alexandra Palace.
She told BBC Radio yesterday: "I feel I've always had the game but us women have never had the opportunity to prove it.
"Last night, I proved to myself and everyone else that women can play darts against the men and beat them."
Sherrock, who will play 11th seed Mensur Suljovic in the second round on Saturday, said her five-year-old autistic son, Rory, would be proud of her feat.
Hearn said last month that darts was "gender-free" and is about "embracing everyone".
He told The Darts Show Podcast: "Men, women, fat, thin, Christian, Muslim, whatever you are, it doesn't make any difference. You're all level in the eyes of the god of the oche and that is the darts board." - AFP
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