Women's World Matchplay: Decisive weekend with Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton leading the way

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Laura Turner believes there is the potential out there to stop Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock from dominating at the Women's Series

Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton are leading the way to Blackpool but there are qualification places for the Women's World Matchplay on the line this weekend in Barnsley.

With just four Women's Series events remaining before the cut-off, it promises to be a decisive weekend at the Barnsley Metrodome, as a host of big names eye a spot in the new £25,000 tournament.

The top eight players on the PDC Women's Series Order of Merit following next weekend's action will seal their place in next month's Women's World Matchplay, which offers the winner a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts.

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Ashton leads the way after winning five of the opening eight events, and the former Tour Card holder will be back in action as she bids to extend her lead in the Order of Merit.

'The Queen of the Palace' Sherrock is also poised to make her Blackpool bow following a brace of titles in 2022, though she could miss Saturday's double-header if she progresses to the Dutch Darts Masters quarter-finals in Amsterdam.

Trina Gulliver rolled back the years as she claimed her first PDC Women's Series title in Event Five

Ten-time Lakeside champion Trina Gulliver picked up her first PDC Women's Series title in Event Five, and she's among the eight provisional qualifiers ahead of Events 9-12.

Lorraine Winstanley, Laura Turner, Rhian Griffiths, Jane Densley and Aileen de Graaf make up the current top eight, with former PDC World Championship qualifier Mikuru Suzuki still in contention.

Sky Sports' Turner reached the final of Event Five - shocking Sherrock along the way - before following it up by doing the same in Event Six - but she will now be looking to go one step further when the weekend's action resumes in Barnsley.

"It was nice to actually have a proper run and then follow it up with another good run," said Turner. "Really, really please, but by day two you underestimate how exhausting it can be because the matches are just one after another and another - they're relentless.

"I finished the first final against Trina Gulliver and I was called straight back on to do the first game of next series because we were doing two in a day.

"I made the quarter-finals of the third tournament on Sunday, but by the afternoon I was completely spent. It was amazing just to be in the mix with all these amazing women."

"It would be amazing to be part of this inaugural Women's World Matchplay. If not I'll be in the commentary box, but the goal is to play"

Laura Turner

Discussing the problem of exhaustion during the weekend events, Turner said: "It's not necessarily physical exhaustion, it's mental. You've got to be so focussed at darts and there are moments where if you're playing and when you make a mistake, or a slip, you've got to try and build yourself back up again and avoid all those negative thoughts.

"It was mental exhaustion to a point when I was saying 'can I get keep this going?' but then I had to say 'Yes, you can', but I obviously couldn't."

On the dominance of Ashton and Sherrock, Turner said: "They're brilliant. It was nice to get a result against Fallon, but Lisa was rather relentless.

"It's great to see different names making those finals. We've said Lisa and Fallon have been so, so dominant throughout the eight tournaments, but we've also had Trina Gulliver win and there have also been the likes of Rhian Griffiths, Jo Locke, Katie Sheldon so there are players competing.

"The more we get to do these tournaments and make the standards of Lisa, Fallon, Mikuru Suzuki and Lorraine Winstanley's hitting, the rest of the field will be brought up."

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Laura Turner is aiming to make it through to the inaugural Women's World Matchplay in Blackpool - live on Sky Sports

Turner is now in a prime position to make the Women's World Matchplay, but the Surrey thrower does not want to put any pressure on herself heading into the last four events.

"I'm currently sat fourth and I have to be in the top eight by the end of Event 12 so I imagine all those Lakeside-based nerves will come out for the big stage at Blackpool," she said.

"It would be amazing to be part of this inaugural Women's World Matchplay. If not I'll be in the commentary box, but the goal is to play."