World Matchplay 2024 - Women's World Matchplay
This year the Women's World Matchplay took place for the third time. Among the eight participants was only one debutant - Anastasia Dobromyslova. All other seven women took part for the at least second time, Lisa Ashton and Fallobn Sherrock already qualified for the third time.
The venue again was not as full as for the men's World Matchplay but interesting enough the press room was spilling over mostly with photographers and far from all stayed for the men's final. I always wonder what all those photographers do with those hundreds of pictures they take.
The afternoon started with the match between the number one seed and reigning champion Beau Greaves and the number 8 seed Katie Sheldon who had moved up after Aileen de Graaf had to withdrew due to another commitement on the day. Greaves hadn't been as dominant on the Women's Series as last year but she had won as first woman one event on the Development Tour. One didn't quite knew what to expect from her but she went into the tournament as favourit and she was the favourit to win this quarterfinal. Though she stood on that stage before Sheldon was nervous and didn't play her normal level. It annoyed her very much which didn't help at all. Beau Greaves told later she was very nervous before the match as well and it showed as her average was 74.46 and she missed a lot of doubles too. But she still was good enough to win 4:1 and to progress into the semifinals.
The second semi-final was the best match of the quarterfinals. Mikuru Suzuki won 4:2 against Noa-Lynn van Leuwen. I was a little bit disappointed in van Leuwen who already won a title on the Challenge Tour this year. Beside two 180s she didn't show much of what she can do while Suzuki played really well and concentrated and had a respectable 85.72 average - the highest of all quarterfinals.
Dobromyslova played in the third quarterfinal of this year's World Matchplay against the winner from 2022, Fallon Sherrock. Dobromyslova looked delighted to be back on the big stage but she was not good enough to have a chance against Sherrock who played a strong match and was quite clinical on her doubles. She only showed glimpses of what she could do in the past and lost 0:4 to Sherrock.
In the last quarterfinal Lisa Ashton played against Rhian O'Sullivan. It was not a good match form both players who both showed often enough they can play better but in the short format of the Women's quarterfinals there is just no room for mistakes and you have to settle very quick. Ashton won 4:1.
The format of the semifinals was slightly longer and Greaves improved a lot in her match against Suzuki compared to her quarterfinals match. The reigning champion dominated the match with her 88.02 average and the Japanese didn't get a lot of chances. She lost 2:5 to Greaves.
The seond semifinal was a match of missed doubles from both Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock. The hitting rate on the doubles was from both very far from the usual level which showed in their under 70 averages. Ashton had a slight advantage in the later part of the match but missed all her six matchdarts - one could have guessed it in this match. Sherrock managed to draw 4:4 and won the last leg of the match to progress into the final.
So in the final the reigning champion Greaves and the former champion Sherrock clashed who were seeded 1 and 2. Greaves started strong into the match and got a 2:0 lead before Sherrock won her first leg. But Greaves couldn't be stopped and soon led with 5:2. Sherrock managed to win one more leg but on this day Greaves with her 98.75 average was too strong for her and defended her title with a double six already in the next leg.
Once again Greaves got a place in the PDC World Championship and the Grand Slam of Darts. But once again she will not play in the PDC World championship but decided for the WDF World Champion. She will take part in the Grand Slam of Darts.