Fallon Sherrock is riding the crest of a wave ahead of her Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts return, less than a fortnight after being awarded her MBE by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.
Sherrock was recognised for her services to the sport of darts in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours List, and was presented with the accolade at an investiture ceremony on Wednesday November 1.
The 29-year-old, who rose to prominence with history-making wins over Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic at the 2019/2020 World Darts Championship, admitted it was a moment she will never forget.
“It was really special, but I’ve never been so nervous in my life,” revealed Sherrock, who joins Eric Bristow, John Lowe and fellow female star Trina Gulliver in receiving the honour.
“I’m very proud to be part of a very small group of people in darts to have received an MBE.
“I never thought that I would ever receive such an honour and I am beyond grateful.”
Having already brushed shoulders with royalty at Windsor Castle, Sherrock is now set to take on darting royalty in Wolverhampton, as she opens her Group G campaign against three-time champion Michael van Gerwen.
The pair famously locked horns in the 2021 Nordic Darts Masters final, with Sherrock racing into a 6-3 lead before Van Gerwen recovered to triumph 11-7 in Copenhagen.
Sherrock will also take on 2018 World Champion Rob Cross and Dutch debutant Martijn Kleermaker in the round-robin phase, as she bids to secure a place in the knockout stage for the second time in three years.
“I’m really excited. Every time I play Michael it’s always a good game, whether it’s an exhibition or in a big TV event,” continued the Milton Keynes trailblazer.
“I want to play the best players in the world, because you’re only going to get better by playing the better players.
“That is when your best game is going to come out, and then I can see where my game is at as well, and where I need to improve.”
Sherrock will take inspiration from her Grand Slam of Darts exploits in 2021, where she produced a string of superb performances to progress to the quarter-finals at the WV Active Aldersley.
She posted a ton-plus average to whitewash Mike De Decker in the group stage, before converting a spectacular 170 checkout to defeat Gabriel Clemens and book her place in the last 16.
There, Sherrock recorded another big-stage victory over Suljovic to set up a quarter-final showdown against Peter Wright, eventually succumbing 16-13 in a thrilling contest.
She returns in Wolverhampton in confident mood, after winning four consecutive PDC Women’s Series titles in Events 20-23 to seal her qualification at the expense of Mikuru Suzuki.
The former Women’s World Matchplay champion won 29 consecutive matches during this period, which also confirmed her place in the 2023/2024 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
“I feel like my game could still be a bit better consistency wise,” said Sherrock, who became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish in a PDC event on the Winmau Challenge Tour back in March.
“I think I’m there or thereabouts at the level where I had my run at the World Championship, but there are definitely parts of my game that are better than when I was at the Grand Slam last year.
“The way I performed towards the end of the Women’s Series this year, and hitting the nine-darter on the Challenge Tour has given me a lot of confidence.
“I am going into these big stage events expecting to play well now, rather than hoping to play well.”
The Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
You can read the full exclusive interview with Fallon in the official 2023 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts programme.