Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock each walked away with a title at the PDC Women’s Series events 17 and 18, held on Saturday at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. Their wins cemented their places as the second‑ and third‑ranked players on the season leaderboard, while the series leader, Beau Greaves, was not present at the venue.
The double‑header began with Event 17, where Ashton displayed dominant form from the opening round. She breezed through the last‑16 stage by delivering three consecutive whitewashes, conceding only a single leg in her match against Lauren Hall before advancing to the quarter‑finals. In the quarters, the Lancashire‑based darts artisan overcame Grace Ferridge with a comfortable 5‑1 scoreline. The semi‑final proved more testing, as Ashton faced a resilient Gemma Hayter; the encounter went to a deciding leg, but Ashton edged it to book her place in the final.
In the championship match, Ashton faced Lauryn Salter, the 2025 Women’s World Matchplay champion. Salter put up a fight, yet Ashton’s relentless scoring and clinical finishing saw her sweep the final 5‑0, securing her third Women’s Series title of the 2026 campaign. Although Salter fell short, she made history by reaching her first Women’s Series final, having previously only managed a semi‑final appearance at Event 12 earlier in the year.
Her run, which included victories over Emma Pearce and Jade Gofford, propelled her to 16th place in the series rankings. Event 18 turned the spotlight onto Fallon Sherrock, who was determined to prevent Ashton from claiming a double victory on the same day. Sherrock started her campaign with a near‑flawless performance, dropping just one leg across her round‑of‑16 wins against Hollie McKain and Julie Whitehouse.
In the quarter‑finals she defeated Jody Hancock, posting an impressive three‑dart average of 93, and then eased past Leanne Topper to reach the last eight. The former 2022 Women’s World Matchplay champion continued her march by blanking Aoife McCormack 5‑0 in the quarter‑finals.
In the semi‑finals she met Gemma Hayter once again, this time emerging victorious 5‑3 after a hard‑fought battle. The final was a repeat of the July Women’s World Matchplay semi‑final, pitting Sherrock against Ashton. Sherrock dominated the encounter, replicating the earlier 5‑0 result and capturing her first Women’s Series title of the season, her first circuit win in more than 16 months.
Both Ashton and Sherrock’s performances boosted their positions in the overall rankings, moving them into second and third place respectively, while Greaves retained the top spot despite not competing on Saturday. The significance of these rankings extends beyond the series itself: the three highest‑placed players at the conclusion of the Women’s Series will earn spots at the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, and the series leader will also qualify for the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts. A detailed look at the knockout stages illustrates the depth of competition. In Event 17, the quarter‑finals featured match‑ups such as Lauryn Salter 5‑2 Emma Pearce, Jade Gofford 5‑2 Sue Lowther, Lisa Ashton 5‑1 Grace Ferridge, and Gemma Hayter 5‑3 Aileen de Graaf.
The semi‑finals saw Salter edging Gofford 5‑4 and Ashton overcoming Hayter by the same margin before Ashton completed a 5‑0 final victory over Salter. Event 18’s bracket included Karolina Ratajska defeating Tracey Dean 5‑2, Ashton beating Trina Gulliver 5‑1, Gemma Hayter overcoming Kirsty Hutchinson 5‑1, and Sherrock delivering a 5‑0 rout of Aoife McCormack in the round of 16. The semi‑finals produced an Ashton win over Ratajska 5‑3 and a Sherrock triumph over Hayter 5‑3, culminating in a 5‑0 final win for Sherrock against Ashton. The Saturday action not only highlighted the skill and determination of the participants but also underscored the growing competitiveness of the women’s circuit.
With Greaves absent, the field seized the opportunity to close the gap, making the race for the top three spots increasingly fierce. Fans can continue to follow the series, watch highlights, and listen to the "Love the Darts" podcast for deeper analysis. For those looking to stream live darts, services such as NOW offer contract‑free access, while Sky Sports remains the traditional broadcaster for major tournaments, including the upcoming World Grand Prix where world number one Luke Littler will defend his title. Overall, the weekend in Leicester delivered compelling narratives, from Ashton’s third title of the year to Sherrock’s long‑awaited return to the winner’s podium, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2026 Women’s Series and the broader PDC calendar.