Lisa Ashton – the winner of seven Women's Series titles – is assured of an Alexandra Palace return with Fallon Sherrock, Aileen de Graaf, Beau Greaves and Lorraine Winstanley all still in with a chance of joining her; Deta Hedman explains Greaves' comeback from dartitis
Thursday 27 October 2022 06:12, UK
With Lisa Ashton already assured of a World Championship return, it's crunch time at the PDC Women's Series this weekend with Fallon Sherrock under pressure in second spot.
Ashton tops the current standings after 16 events, although Greaves' sensational four wins in Hildesheim in August have moved her into fourth spot behind Sherrock and Aileen de Graaf.
Greaves, the WDF Women's Champion is just £1,800 adrift of provisional qualification for the 2022/23 World Darts Championship, despite missing the opening 12 events of this year's Women's Series.
And with £4,000 up for grabs with four events remaining 'Beau 'n' Arrow' will be targeting another history-making weekend in Wigan.
'The Queen of the Palace' Sherrock remains in pole position to join Ashton at the Worlds this December having accumulated £5,800 in prize money despite having missed a couple of events due to the World Series of Darts Finals.
Women's World Matchplay runner-up De Graaf sits in third spot on £4,200, with Greaves and Lorraine Winstanley in joint fourth on £4,000.
Trailblazer Deta Hedman is backing 18-year-old Greaves to give Sherrock a run for her money at the weekend.
She hopes the teenager will take women's darts to another level having overcome dartitis, which is the unexplained loss of motor control in the hand, wrist, or arm.
"Covid gave Beau time to rest up, re-evaluate and come back an even stronger person"
Speaking to Sky Sports, she said: "A lot of Beau's chances depends on how the draw goes and also how you perform on the day. It's a constant amount of games so you have to keep your composure.
"Beau has come through the youth system and was winning until she had the worst case of dartitis that I have ever seen.
"We were in Cheshire playing a tournament and it took her nearly an hour to play the final. We were playing pairs and I told her 'forget about it, just relax'. She wanted to have a go but it hit her in the right arm, so she wanted to try playing with her left and even then she had dartitis. I've never seen someone get dartitis in the left and the right like that.
"In the end, we lost, but then Covid came in and I think that helped give her the time to rest up, re-evaluate and come back an even stronger person."
The fifth and final weekend of this year's PDC Women's Series takes place at Wigan's Robin Park Tennis Centre from October 29-30. Who will join Ashton in making it through to the World Championship at Alexandra Palace?
