Fallon Sherrock has been handed a controversial call-up to the PDC World Championship – just seven days after complaining women's darts had become a hostile environment.
The Queen of the Palace appeared to have missed out on a place at next month's showpiece when Lisa Ashton and 18-year-old sensation Beau Greaves beat her to the two qualifying spots available through the Women's Series.
But Professional Darts Corporation bosses have announced Sherrock's win at the inaugural Women's World Matchplay in Blackpool four months ago was her golden ticket to Ally Pally. Now there will be three women in the 96-player field when the draw is made next Monday.
And although some fans on social media have insinuated the goalposts were moved to accommodate her, Sherrock – whose historic wins against Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic tore down darts' gender barriers in 2019 – is grateful for her reprieve.
The former Bletchley hairdresser, who defeated Aileen de Graaf in the World Matchplay final, said: "That was a wonderful day for me, I'm proud to have won and it's great that I will now get to go back to Ally Pally.
"The PDC have done amazing things for women's darts in recent years and that's given us players a platform to play at the highest level."
Last week, Sherrock threatened to quit the PDC women's circuit because she felt jealous rivals wanted her to lose, saying: “I am not welcome with the women much any more. It doesn't matter what I do - I am still going to get hate.
“I could be the best person in the world, but I am at a point now where I am like, if you are going to hate me, hate me.”
Although Sherrock, 28, has lifted the profile of women's darts to unsurpassed levels and reached the Grand Slam quarter-finals 12 months ago, she lost all three group matches against Peter Wright, Alan Soutar and Nathan Aspinall in Wolverhampton last week.
