History-maker Fallon Sherrock will use all her experience on the big stage to reach the knockout stages again; Next up on the Sky Sports Darts calendar is the 17th staging of the Grand Slam of Darts from November 11-19 at the Aldersley Leisure Village
Tuesday 7 November 2023 14:32, UK
"Fallon Sherrock knows Michael van Gerwen's game and is on a hot streak," says pundit Laura Turner, who believes 'The Queen of the Palace' won't fear the Dutchman and will use all her experience at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Van Gerwen will face 2021 quarter-finalist Sherrock in a mouth-watering group stage showdown, as the Milton Keynes star makes her third consecutive Aldersley appearance at the 32-player tournament - live on Sky Sports.
The match-up is also a repeat of their clash in the final of the Nordic Darts Masters two years ago, which the Dutchman won 11-7 and pundit Turner believes history-maker Sherrock is riding on the crest of the wave having become the first woman to hit a perfect leg on TV as well as adding to her medal collection having received her MBE at Windsor Castle.
She rises to the occasion and I know she's not going to win everything but I don't think she'll be worried about playing anyone.
"They know each other really well," said Turner. "They're part of the same management team, they travel together for exhibitions and she's pushed him before in Denmark at the Nordic Masters.
"She knows his game and she's played him quite a lot and although I don't think anybody would particularly want to draw Michael van Gerwen, I just think she'll play the player in front of her and I think Michael will do the same."
Sherrock's haul of five titles saw her finish second on the Women's Series Order of Merit and will see her compete at both the Grand Slam and World Championship.
"It is the time of year where you want to be hitting your best form," said Turner. "She's obviously got the Grand Slam coming up so that last push at the Women's Series saw her overtake Mikuru Suzuki. Fallon won three out of the four tournaments in the last weekend of the Series, so she's hit her best streak this year and she's hit it at the right time.
"Martijn Kleermaker took out Dimitri Van den Bergh in qualifying and then the other player is just another world champion in Rob Cross.
"Rob's game is a bit up and down at the minute but he likes the Grand Slam because even if you lose the opening match you can still play yourself into it.
"Fallon will be thinking one match at a time, try and get a good start, she's been here before and got through to the quarter-finals. She knows the format, she knows that she's playing well, it's all down to what happens on the day. I just think you've got to make the most of these opportunities because she's played herself into this position and she'll look at that and think she'll be happy enough.
"She rises to the occasion and I know she's not going to win everything but I don't think she'll be worried about playing anyone."
Beau Greaves also faces a tough challenge, having been drawn against last year's finalist Nathan Aspinall, Damon Heta and Ricardo Pietreczko.
"Beau has played Damon Heta a few times but that was a while back and she's a different beast on the dartboard now," explained Turner, who could potentially face 'Beau 'n' Arrow' at the Women's World Championship at Lakeside should she navigate her way past Lorraine Hyde in the first round.
"Aspinall's achievements speak for themselves, but also Pietreczko whose performances have been rather dynamic, explosive recently, but I just think Beau will take each game as they come and try and put on a good performance. She's got every tool in the locker and I really think she can beat anyone.
"Her form has dipped recently and kind of understandably. She's also had to make the decision on whether she wanted to play in the WDF or the PDC Worlds which might have been weighing up in her mind.
"She loves playing in the WDF, she's the reigning champion and she's going back there to win it. It's down to me or Lorraine to try and stop her."
The 32-player tournament will be staged at the WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton from November 11-19, with the players competing for the coveted Eric Bristow Trophy and the £150,000 top prize.
Group A
Michael Smith (1)
James Wade
Krzysztof Ratajski
Nathan Girvan
Group B
Jonny Clayton (8)
Chris Dobey
Josh Rock
Berry van Peer
Group C
Luke Humphries (4)
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson
Steve Lennon
Group D
Gerwyn Price (5)
Ryan Searle
Gian van Veen
Nathan Rafferty
Group E
Peter Wright (2)
Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting
Stowe Buntz
Group F
Danny Noppert (7)
Andrew Gilding
Brendan Dolan
Haruki Muramatsu
Group G
Michael van Gerwen (3)
Rob Cross
Martijn Kleermaker
Fallon Sherrock
Group H
Nathan Aspinall (6)
Damon Heta
Ricardo Pietreczko
Beau Greaves
Watch the Grand Slam of Darts from November 11-19 at the Aldersley Leisure Village. Stream your favourite sports and more with NOW
