Lisa Ashton and Fallon Sherrock each walked away with a trophy from the PDC Women’s Series events 17 and 18 that took place on Saturday, reinforcing their standing as the second and third ranked players on the circuit. The double‑header was staged at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, a venue that hosted two intense evenings of women’s darts and saw both veterans claim a title in succession.
Event 17 belonged to Lisa Ashton, who stormed through the opening rounds with a series of whitewash wins that saw her glide into the last 16 without dropping a single leg. In the round of 16 she met Lauren Hall and, after a tightly contested battle, surrendered just one leg before advancing to the quarter‑finals. Ashton then faced Grace Ferridge, dispatching her 5‑1 in a match that highlighted her clinical finishing and steady scoring.
The semi‑final proved a sterner test as she met Gemma Hayter; the encounter went down to the wire, with Ashton edging out Hayter in a deciding leg to earn her place in the final. In the championship match Ashton faced Lauryn Salter, the 2025 Women’s World Matchplay champion.
Salter had already demonstrated her pedigree by cruising through the earlier rounds, but Ashton was relentless, delivering a flawless performance and winning 5‑0. The victory marked Ashton’s third Women’s Series title of the 2026 season and solidified her position as the runner‑up in the overall rankings. Salter, despite the loss, achieved a personal milestone by reaching her first Women’s Series final, having previously made a semi‑final appearance at Event 12. Her run included wins over Emma Pearce and Jade Gofford, which propelled her to 16th place in the series standings.
The following day, Event 18 saw Fallon Sherrock break Ashton’s streak and claim the second title of the weekend. Sherrock entered the tournament in fine form, dropping only one leg in her early matches against Hollie McKain and Julie Whitehouse.
In the quarter‑finals she faced Jody Hancock, posting an impressive 93 average before moving on to defeat Leanne Topper and secure a place in the last eight. The semi‑final pitted her against Aoife McCormack, a match Sherrock dominated with a 5‑0 scoreline, and then she faced Gemma Hayter in a tighter contest, emerging victorious 5‑3 to book her fourth final of the year.
The final was a rematch of the July Women’s World Matchplay semi‑final, pitting Sherrock against Ashton once again. Sherrock replicated her earlier dominance, delivering a clean 5‑0 win over Ashton and capturing her first Women’s Series title of 2026 after a 16‑month drought. The win not only added a coveted trophy to Sherrock’s cabinet but also propelled her into third place in the overall series rankings, behind Ashton and the still‑unbeaten Beau Greaves, who was absent from the Saturday action.
The top three finishers in the final Women’s Series rankings – Greaves, Ashton and Sherrock – will earn spots at the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship. In addition, the series leader will qualify for the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts, providing a clear pathway for the women’s circuit to the sport’s most prestigious stages. Detailed results from the weekend are as follows: Event 17 – Quarter‑Finals: - Lauryn Salter 5‑2 Emma Pearce - Jade Gofford 5‑2 Sue Lowther - Lisa Ashton 5‑1 Grace Ferridge - Gemma Hayter 5‑3 Aileen de Graaf Event 17 – Semi‑Finals: - Lauryn Salter 5‑4 Jade Gofford - Lisa Ashton 5‑4 Gemma Hayter Event 17 – Final: - Lisa Ashton 5‑0 Lauryn Salter Event 18 – Quarter‑Finals: - Karolina Ratajska 5‑2 Tracey Dean - Lisa Ashton 5‑1 Trina Gulliver - Gemma Hayter 5‑1 Kirsty Hutchinson - Fallon Sherrock 5‑0 Aoife McCormack Event 18 – Semi‑Finals: - Lisa Ashton 5‑3 Karolina Ratajska - Fallon Sherrock 5‑3 Gemma Hayter Event 18 – Final: - Fallon Sherrock 5‑0 Lisa Ashton Beyond the immediate results, the weekend underscored the growing depth of talent in women’s darts.
Players such as Lauryn Salter and Karolina Ratajska demonstrated that the field is becoming increasingly competitive, with emerging names challenging established stars. The consistent high averages, tight finishes, and dramatic leg‑by‑leg battles suggest that the Women’s Series will continue to produce compelling storylines and provide a robust pipeline of talent for the global stage. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports or stream matches through the NOW platform, which offers contract‑free access to darts and other top‑level sports.
The series also features regular podcasts, such as the "Love the Darts" show, where analysts break down performances and discuss upcoming fixtures. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Beau Greaves, who remains atop the rankings, and on whether Ashton or Sherrock can close the gap and claim the coveted top spot before the year’s end.