Long live the (darts) queen
At precisely the same time as Her Majesty the Queen addressed the nation on Christmas Day, the Professional Darts Corporation posted an alternative message on social media ‘‘from our Queen’’ Fallon Sherrock.
That her historic World Championship run finally came to an end against Chris Dobey does little to rid her of such status. One only need see the blonde-wigged, pink-shirted Sherrock lookalikes dotted around Alexandra Palace, the sign reading ‘‘Fallon will you marry me’’, or the messages of support from the likes of Stephen Fry and Billie Jean King, to see the impact she has had on this sport.
From an unknown 10 days ago, the 25-year-old teetotal single mother is now darts royalty and has changed the face of the sport forever. Her 4-2 defeat by Dobey – followed victories over Ted Evetts – the first time a woman had ever won a match at this competition – and Mensur Suljovic, and almost everyone inside the capacity north London venue hoped to witness her dream continue.
So loud were the cheers whenever she stepped up to the oche, and the boos when her opponent did likewise, that Dobey opted to wear earplugs for the first time in his career. It did not help. He could still hear every jeer and for some time that looked like having a profound effect on the outcome.
Sherrock, who threw three 180s in the opening two legs, roared into a 2-1 set lead in the first-to-four-set match as Dobey repeatedly wilted under pressure when looking to close out legs. But the former motorway worker grew into the match to secure a fourth-round encounter with Glen Durrant.
Even with defeat, Sherrock is £25,000 richer – far more than any payday she has earned before – although that will likely prove insignificant in light of her sponsorship potential going forward.
She will have star billing at next month’s BDO Women’s World Championship before looking to become the first woman to earn her PDC tour card. Her place at June’s World Series of Darts in New York is assured. It is not hard to see why there was little disappointment after she was cheered off stage following Dobey’s win.
‘‘My life has changed quite a bit,’’ she said. ‘‘I’m getting recognised when I go down the street. It’s blown up so much. It’s incredible.
‘‘I saw some people dressed as me on the TV when I was in the practice room and I was like, ‘Oh OK, I have some fans now.’ It’s really cool people were dressed up like me. I mean, come on . . . it’s me!’’
For much of the match it looked like Sherrock could smash her way through another seeded player. It is four years since Dobey ditched his day job spending 12-hour shifts putting cones out on motorways in the North East of England, but no working environment will ever have been as hostile as the one he faced on Saturday.
The father-of-one insisted before the match that he would relish the test of jeers, but the start of his quest to end Sherrock’s fairytale suggested otherwise. Capitalising on a break of throw in the opening leg, Sherrock won the first set amid a feverish atmosphere that prompted Dobey to remain alone at the oche practising during the television break. He needed only to focus on the outer ring of the board.
While his accumulation remained far superior to Sherrock’s throughout the entire match, his pitiful efforts to hit doubles at crucial points threatened to cost him dear. At times in those opening stages, his three-dart average above 100 belied a double percentage of less than 20. The crowd were clearly playing a part.
From one-set apiece, Sherrock regained her lead at 2-1 before Dobey finally settled. His hefty tally of 23 140s and 11 180s showed his consistency in racking up big scores and once he steadily improved his ability to close out legs, the door began to shut on his rival. The 4-2 scoreline was a fair reflection.
‘‘Fair play to Fallon, she threw everything at us and throughout the game, even after the game, she was fantastic and she deserves everything she gets,’’ Dobey said.
‘‘I would like to see her do well, but unfortunately she came up against myself and I’m there to make a living for me and my family. With the crowd against us the whole match, it’s not nice to be booed, but who’s going to shut 3000 fans up? I had earplugs in and I could still hear it. It’s great to play in an atmosphere like that.
‘‘She’s the history-maker. Look what she’s done for the women’s side of the game. She’s put it on the map. All credit to her. She’s been fantastic.’’