Fallon Sherrock feels she can add Michael van Gerwen to her history-making exploits on Saturday night; Watch the 17th staging of the Grand Slam of Darts from 11-19 November at the WV Active Aldersley - live on Sky Sports
Saturday 11 November 2023 10:41, UK
Fallon Sherrock believes she can create more history at this year's Grand Slam of Darts by beating three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.
Sherrock has come out in bullish mood having become the first female to produce a televised nine-dart finish before winning four consecutive PDC Women's Series Events ahead of the tournament, which is being played at the WV Active Aldersley - live on Sky Sports.
Saturday's evening session will feature 2021 quarter-finalist Sherrock up against Van Gerwen in a blockbuster meeting between two players who know each other very well.
They famously faced each other in the final of the Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen in 2021, which MVG won 11-7, and they happen to be part of the same management team.
"I beat Van Gerwen in a best-of-seven leg match at a German Gala in front of 5,000 people, so it still counts," said a buoyant Sherrock. "It was a close game but that's another thing, I'm not scared of playing all these World Champions like Rob Cross and Michael because when I play exhibitions, I've played all these people.
"I played Michael Smith the other week and it doesn't faze me anymore. I'm like, 'I'm going to try and put my ability to your ability and see how it goes'. I do get close, if not quite over the line but I'm really looking forward to it.
"Yes, [I can produce something special]. I want to and I'm going into the match thinking I'm going to do well, play well, and see what the outcome is. I'm not going to run before I walk and it all depends on how I'm feeling that day.
"If the trebles are going in, then the finishing will go in, and then it will be a really close game."
The Milton Keynes ace is more than happy to test herself against the very best players on planet darts.
"I want the best players because you're only going to get better playing the better players and then that's when your real good game is going to come out," the 29-year-old said. "That's when you're put under pressure and that's when you can't afford to make mistakes.
"I'm more than happy to be put up against the best in the world because then I can see where my game is at as well.
Sherrock, who became the first female to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship in 2019, also reached the last eight of the Grand Slam of Darts in 2021 before losing 16-13 to Peter Wright in a memorable quarter-final encounter.
Looking back at her performance on the big stage against 'Snakebite', Sherrock said: "For me to play that consistently over that duration, I'd say it was one of my best performances. That was definitely the best I've played.
"I don't know how I do this towards the end of the year, I always pick my game up. During the middle of the year, I'm like 'where have you gone?' It's always the end of the year when I end up peaking, which is a great time to peak with the Grand Slam and the Worlds but I wish my form was a bit more consistent."
The pioneering female star also added to her medal collection when she was made an MBE for services to darts at Windsor Castle, receiving her medal from the Prince of Wales.
"That was really cool," admitted Sherrock. "But I've never been so nervous in all my life. I was like 'don't fall over' and then I was left speechless because he said 'I've seen darts broadcast' and my reaction to that was 'Oh, you've seen it on TV?' and he started laughing at me and said, 'Yes! the television'. I really embarrassed myself."
Sherrock later joked: "I got an MBE just for winning two games [at the Worlds] so if I win the World title I might get a Damehood."
Saturday November 11
Afternoon Session (1300-1700 GMT - live on Sky Sports Arena)
Group Stage x8 - Groups B-D-F-H First Matches
Damon Heta vs Ricardo Pietreczko (H)
Andrew Gilding vs Brendan Dolan (F)
Ryan Searle vs Gian van Veen (D)
Chris Dobey vs Josh Rock (B)
Danny Noppert vs Haruki Muramatsu (F)
Nathan Aspinall vs Beau Greaves (H)
Jonny Clayton vs Berry van Peer (B)
Gerwyn Price vs Nathan Rafferty (D)
Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT - live on Sky Sports Arena)
Group Stage x8 - Groups A-C-E-G First Matches
James Wade vs Krzysztof Ratajski (A)
Rob Cross vs Martijn Kleermaker (G)
Dave Chisnall vs Stephen Bunting (E)
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Gary Anderson (C)
Luke Humphries vs Steve Lennon (C)
Peter Wright vs Stowe Buntz (E)
Michael van Gerwen vs Fallon Sherrock (G)
Michael Smith vs Nathan Girvan (A)
Watch the seventeenth staging of the Grand Slam of Darts from 11-19 November at the Aldersley Leisure Village. Stream your favourite sports and more with NOW
