Lisa Ashton defends Fallon Sherrock as women’s darts breaks new ground at World Matchplay
dailystar.co.ukDarts will break new ground this weekend when the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool provides the stage for the top players in the women’s game.Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock will be part of the eight-play field for the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay, which will take place on Sunday afternoon ahead of the main final in the evening.
While trailblazers Ashton and Sherrock will be the most familiar names in the field, it will also give other lesser-known players the chance on one of the sport’s most famous stages.That, in essence, is why the event has been created, to showcase female players and provide experience of playing in front of a big audience, both in the venue and on TV as the tournament will be screened live by Sky Sports.
It has already been confirmed a Women’s World Matchplay will take place again in 2023. But as PDC chief executive Matt Porter pointed out earlier this year, the event will be an exception rather than a prelude to further women-only tournaments. READ MORE: Gerwyn Price denies taking up golf with Fallon Sherrock after comical video goes viral The goal remains to grow women’s darts and pave the way for more female players to take on the men in big tournaments, as they do at the Grand Slam and World Championship.
Ashton, 51, who will be the veteran of the field, is delighted to have the chance to grace the Winter Gardens stage, but insists regular matches against male players remains the priority.“It’s great the opportunity they’ve given us to play the Matchplay,” she told Daily Star Sport. “But it’s the ladies and the men, we all want to play together, as we do in the Grand Slam and the Worlds.“We’re not separating.
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