On the opening day of the World Darts Championship, she’ll have the honour of facing recent champion Michael Smith. The traditional December festival at London’s Alexandra Palace is about to get underway.
Female darts players are grateful for the tournament’s expansion—this year, for the first time, there are 128 names in the draw, and it was clear from the start that at least four spots would go to women. In the end, five women have made it to the grand finale.
Among the chosen few this year is Lisa Ashton, who became the first woman in history to earn a professional tour card through the official qualifying tournaments. And she often talks about it. "Q-School is incredibly tough. You start with 500 players, you’re on the floor all day, and every dart counts.
"I’ve never played so many matches in my life as I did there, and Barry Hearn always said that if a woman wants to play on the Tour, she has to go through this. And if she manages it, she deserves the card," recalled the four-time world champion in an interview with the Daily Express.
The words of the former player and respected darts promoter were a real motivation for her.
"When it was all over that Sunday, I couldn’t move my arm for three days, it was stiff as a board. It really took it out of me," she added about the gruelling contest that earned her a place among the professionals.
Even though she’s managed to beat former or future world champions like Adrian Lewis and Michael Smith at tournaments, Ashton has remained somewhat in the shadows.
The limelight was stolen by Fallon Sherrock, who made headlines by winning two matches at the 2019 World Championship. Her impressive run, in which she beat two men—Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic—is still remembered as a landmark moment in darts history.
It’s clear that this still bothers Ashton. "Nothing against Fallon—what she achieved opened the door for all women. But I do think it pushed my own journey into the background," she admits.
Incidentally, the rivalry between her and Sherrock came to a head at this year’s Women’s World Matchplay, where the winner earned a spot at the World Championship. Ashton edged a tense match 6–5.
Now, the Lancashire Rose, as she’s known in the darts world, has a chance to set the record straight. She’s played at the World Championship four times before, but has always gone out in the first round. For her fifth attempt, she’s been drawn against Michael Smith.
Yes, the very same man she beat back in September 2020. 'Bully Boy', as Smith is nicknamed, was already a top player then, but went on to win the championship in January 2023. Since then, though, he’s struggled with burnout and is currently ranked only 28th.
"I’m looking forward to it, it’ll be a good match. Lisa can hit big scores, and so can I. It’ll all come down to handling the emotions, not letting things get out of hand, and staying focused," Smith told the PDC website, and you can sense the respect in his words.
After all, Smith knows plenty about emotions at Alexandra Palace. This will be his 15th consecutive appearance, and he’s reached the final stage three times.
Besides his 2023 title, he’s also remembered for his epic final against Michael van Gerwen. Their leg in the second set is still widely regarded as the greatest in darts history. Needless to say, Smith finished it with a nine-darter…