Latest news with #BetfredWomen'sWorldMatchplay
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Noa Lynn van Leuven vows not to be driven out of darts with dream Ally Pally return on mind
The 28-year-old is determined to enjoy the game again and wants another dream shot at the World Championships Determined Noa-Lynn van Leuven insists she won't be driven out of darts as she targets a dream return to the Ally Pally. The 28-year-old is back on the major stage at Blackpool for the Betfred Women's World Matchplay. Van Leuven has been happy to go under the radar and out of the spotlight this time around following last year's intense attention. As the first transgender player to compete in a televised PDC tournament against men at the Grand Slam before heading to the World Championships, van Leuven had felt searing scrutiny. But she's back in Blackpool having won back-to-back April events in Rosmalen and won't be deterred as she explained: 'No, I love this game too much and why would I let anyone else ruin my passion for darts? I just want to play darts. 'It feels amazing to be back. It's such an iconic place to play at. Last year, I just lacked a bit of confidence, I guess. I've been gaining a lot of stage experience now, so hopefully I can bring my A game to the stage this time. 'It was quiet for the past few weeks and that's actually quite nice. I've done a bit less media beforehand. I guess this year is just about trying to enjoy life and getting my mind right again, so I don't have that big of goals in darts. 'I'm feeling better, yeah. Before the Grand Slam, it was really good to read those kind of messages in the newspapers. If you have a lot of people going up against you, it's not a great feeling. But if you get the likes of them [Humphries/Van Gerwen], it sure helps. 'I'm just here to play my game. I want to win a few games. If I win three games, that would be great. "I've been taking some time to just relax, get my mind right, just try to enjoy life and find the nice things in life. So I've taken a bit of time away from darts, but I have practised in between and I think my game is on. 'It's okay. I'm trying to find that balance and I'm trying to find and enjoy the nice things in life. I want to enjoy darts again.' Van Leuven has targeted the Ally Pally again and continued: 'I would love to be back at Worlds. I was there the day before [playing Kevin Doets] and, when I walked into the venue, I was like: Oh, is this it? "On TV it looked so much bigger, but if you were in a room, how many people does it fit? Like 4,000? That's quite a lot. 'But it's amazing to play on that stage and I felt so comfortable Kevin on that stage. So yeah, it's just a good experience.'
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Fallon Sherrock reveals pub player gripe as Queen of the Palace gets honest about taking on men
The Queen of the Palace was straight to the point as she discussed the opening of more doors for female stars Inspirational Fallon Sherrock reckons opportunities for women in darts should be expanded with pub players ahead of them in the UK Open pecking order. The Queen of the Palace was the one who famously smashed the glass ceiling with her Ally Pally success over Ted Evetts at the Worlds. Sherrock has helped massively to forge scenarios such as today's eight-player Betfred Women's World Matchplay which takes place this afternoon prior to the men's final between Luke Littler and James Wade. However, she wants to see more chances afforded to the ladies with the UK Open a particular bugbear as she said: 'I actually prefer playing the men to the women. I just feel there's less pressure on me because I just feel like people expect me to do more than what I do, if that makes sense. 'You could probably give some women some UK Open spots. That's what I think. Everyone else has their own opinions, but you're always looking for spaces and you're giving it to people who go to their local pubs and playing and stuff. And I'm like: Give some to the women. Just two spaces or something. How good would it be to see, for example, like the best women at the moment. 'I mean, obviously there's only eight [in Women's Matchplay] at the moment. I'd love to see more because there are other women that could put on a good performance and stuff. And there's women just underneath that have just missed out who are like quality players. Just expand it a little bit, so we're not just playing like one afternoon. 'Maybe put it in with the men. In between. Give us some opportunity just to showboat ourselves because, unless you know it's on a Sunday, people don't know about it. And again, the format's quite short. I feel like I still am helping push the sport a bit further, but I also think because all the other women are playing better now and getting more exposure, it's opening us more opportunities to get the spots as well. So I don't feel it's just me.' Sherrock will take a break from the game next year for health issues, but feels good for Blackpool and said: 'That's obviously a difficult decision for me anyway, but at the moment, I'm doing okay. So I'm going to be playing longer than I anticipated like now. "It's just touch and go as to when I'm going to need time out. But at the moment, I'm doing okay to kind of just keep playing. I've been eating better and stuff like that. I'm very happy because, I mean, I could have just given up and just gone downhill completely. I'm happy that I've just kept going and kept positive and just keep looking to the future. I've set myself goals and they're the ones that I want to achieve rather than just giving up. 'I feel great. I'm excited. I'm not tired. It's not like I'm choosing it. It [break] will happen. I can't stop it happening as much as I want it to, but I've just got to keep positive, keep playing, just keep living in the moment, just not thinking of anything negative.' Beau Greaves is now the girl ruling the roost and Sherrock said: 'I can just go under the radar. When I was at the World Championships the first time, no one really knew who I was anyway, I wasn't like the one of the top lot winning everything anyway. 'You just get kind of thrown in the deep end and you don't really understand. It's like a shock to the system, because no one expects the world just to explode the way it does because you kind of assume it's going to be a kind of big thing, but you don't realise how massive it's going to be. Then when something new happens, the world just goes mental. 'It [women's darts] will go absolutely massive and everyone will be like: Oh, yeah, Fallon and Beau were the ones that were winning it and all that, and people will remember.'
