Fallon Sherrock’s hopes of facing Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship were dashed after she was defeated by Ryan Meikle in a tense first-round match that went to a deciding set.
Sherrock, who has now lost in the first round at Alexandra Palace for four years in a row, won the opening set but Meikle responded strongly, winning six legs in a row to take a 2-1 lead. Despite Sherrock forcing the match to a final set, Meikle kept his composure and secured the win, even with the crowd behind Sherrock.
Meikle will now face Luke Littler on Saturday, with the match scheduled for around 9pm.
“I’m over the moon to be playing Luke Littler on this stage,” Meikle said. “It’s going to be a tough match, but I’m really happy to be through.”
Meanwhile, in other first-round matches, Ricardo Pietreczko easily beat Zong Xiao Chen and will meet Gian van Veen next. Rashad Sweeting from the Bahamas earned the crowd’s admiration despite losing to Jeffrey de Graaf. Sweeting’s performance included a memorable 180 and a 126 checkout, and his energetic walk-on gained him the support of the Alexandra Palace crowd.
