Paul Prenderville
Comment & Analysis @paulprenders
Last Updated: 04/08/20 10:24am
Fallon Sherrock has been handed a spot in the World Series of Darts Finals after her New York debut was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic
Fallon Sherrock has been included in the list on invited players for the World Series of Darts Finals, but Premier League leader Glen Durrant is a surprise omission.
With the World Series events in Australia, New Zealand and New York all cancelled, the qualification for the event currently scheduled for Salzburg in September was effectively made redundant.
Upcoming PDC events
| August 25-30 | Premier League Nights 7-12 |
|---|---|
| September 11 | World Series of Darts Finals – Qualifier |
| September 12-16 | Autumn Series |
| September 18-20 | World Series of Darts Finals |
It has left the PDC with a balancing act to strike between the best players in world darts and those who had been scheduled to compete in the events around the globe.
‘Queen of the Palace’ Sherrock has missed out on a date at Madison Square Garden as the US Darts Masters was cancelled but after thrilling with her wins over Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic, as well as a memorable draw on her Premier League debut against Durrant she will get another chance to impress.
Also on Sherrock’s radar will be the women’s World Championship qualifier scheduled for November and the Grand Slam of Darts where the BDO’s traditional eights spots could be the subject of invites.
Sherrock is joined on the list of invited players by Australia’s Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson, Cody Harris and Damon Heta, while Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas, Canada’s Jeff Smith and Belgium’s new World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh are among the names involved.
Dimitri Van den Bergh, a World Series quarter-finalist three years ago, is invited on the back of his World Matchplay success
Glen Durrant misses out on a place in the 20-player field, but could take one of four qualification spots
Premier League Darts 2020 – Provisional schedule
| Tuesday August 25 | Night Seven |
| Wednesday August 26 | Night Eight |
| Thursday August 27 | Judgement Night |
| Friday August 28 | Night 10 |
| Saturday August 29 | Night 11 |
| Sunday August 30 | Night 12 |
| Thursday September 17 | Night 13 |
| Thursday September 24 | Night 14 |
| Thursday October 1 | Night 15 |
| Thursday October 15 | Night 16 |
| Thursday October 22 | Play Offs |
Austria’s own Mensur Suljovic is also on the list but the absence of three-time BDO world champion Duzza, a four-time televised major semi-finalist since his switch to the PDC over 18 months ago will raise eyebrows, as will the absence of Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski while also underlining the growing strength in the game
The eight seeded names are Michael van Gerwen, world champion Peter Wright, Gerywn Price, Michael Smith, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall, Daryl Gurney and Gary Anderson with James Wade, Dave Chisnall and Ian White on the list of invited players.
Alongside the 20 names invited, four spots will be up for grabs via a qualification event that will be open to all Tour card holders and Durrant and Ratajski will have to battle it out with the rest of the hopefuls.
The PDC returned to action behind closed doors in July with the successful five-day Summer Series and the World Matchplay all at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes which will also host the Premier League’s return at the end of August.
On Monday, the PDC also confirmed an Autumn Series for Hildesheim in Germany in September, which will be the resumption of the Pro Tour season and the first Pro Tour action away from Milton Keynes.
Darts is back on Sky Sports later this month, as the Premier League returns with six consecutive nights of action getting under way on Tuesday, August 25.
