Fallon Sherrock is fired up and ready for a date with darting royalty

Sherrock begings her group campaign this evening against three-time champion Michael van Gerwen, in a repeat of the Nordic Darts Masters decider two years ago.

After receiving her MBE at Windsor Castle earlier this month, the Milton Keynes trailblazer is ready to brush shoulders with darting royalty in her Group G opener.

“Every time I play Michael it’s always a good game, whether it’s an exhibition or in a big TV event,” insisted Sherrock, who will also face 2018 world champion Rob Cross and Martijn Kleermaker in the group stage.

“I want to play the best players in the world, because you’re only going to get better by playing the better players.

“The way I performed towards the end of the Women’s Series this year, and hitting the nine-darter on the Challenge Tour has given me a lot of confidence. I am going into these big stage events expecting to play well now, rather than hoping to play well. I am really excited!”

Group C also takes centre stage this evening, as World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries plays Steve Lennon, while two-time finalist Gary Anderson meets Dutch star Dirk van Duijvenbode.

European Champion Peter Wright takes on American Stowe Buntz in his opener, with Dave Chisnall up against Stephen Bunting in the other Group E tie.

The afternoon session sees players in Groups B, D, F and H commence their challenge, as three-time Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price sets his sights on a fourth Aldersley triumph.

The Welshman locks horns with Northern Ireland’s Nathan Rafferty in Group D, after Ryan Searle has faced Dutch debutant Gian van Veen.

Masters champion Chris Dobey will meet 2022 World Youth Champion Josh Rock in a fascinating Group B

tie, as the Bedlington star looks to add to his title haul in the West Midlands.

“I’ve been playing well. My consistency is there, so I definitely feel I have a good run in me,” claimed Dobey, a quarter-finalist at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship in 2023.

“No games are easy and it’s a very strong group, but I’m ready for the challenge, and there is no reason why I cannot go there and top the group.

“It’s going to be a tough ask, but I’m confident going into it, and I know where my game is at. I think they will be worrying about me more than I am worrying about them.”

Wales’ World Cup champion Jonny Clayton will also feature in Group B, and the World Matchplay runner-up kicks off the round-robin phase against the returning Berry van Peer.

Elsewhere, World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall opens his Group H campaign against Women’s World Matchplay champion Beau Greaves in another highly-anticipated tie.

Aspinall – a runner-up to Smith in Wolverhampton 12 months ago – headlines a highly-competitive group, which also includes Australian number one Damon Heta and Germany’s rising star Ricardo Pietreczko.

World number seven Danny Noppert will play PDC Asian Champion Haruki Muratmatsu in his first Group F assignment, as UK Open champion Andrew Gilding and Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan also go head-to-head.

The group stage continues on Sunday, with Saturday’s winning players facing off and the losing players also meeting each other, before the final round-robin games take place across Monday and Tuesday.

The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stage, with the last 16 action beginning on Wednesday November 15 and running through to the semi-finals and final on Sunday November 19.

The Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).