Mikuru Suzuki and Lisa Ashton celebrated PDC Women’s Series titles during a dramatic double-header in Wigan on Saturday.
Suzuki kicked off the fifth weekend of 2023 Women’s Series action with victory in Event 17 at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, sweeping aside Ashton to clinch her third title of the campaign.
However, Ashton made amends with Event 18 success, whitewashing Anastasia Dobromyslova to celebrate her 15th Women’s Series crown, and her first since June 2022.
Saturday’s double-header also saw Beau Greaves lose in back-to-back events for just the second time on the Women’s Series circuit in 2023, as the race for Alexandra Palace qualification intensifies.
Suzuki remains poised to seal her World Championship return in December, after reeling off four straight legs to dispatch Ashton in Event 17 and cement second spot on the Women’s Series Order of Merit.
The 41-year-old stormed to victory in emphatic style, accounting for Dutch trio Vanessa Zuidema, Quintey Bieman and Aileen de Graaf, before thrashing Natalie Gilbert 5-1 in the quarter-finals.
The Japanese star then posted a stunning 100.65 average to demolish Maria O’Brien in the last four, kicking off proceedings with consecutive 12-darters and sealing the deal with a 13-dart break.
Ashton impressed in reaching her second Women’s Series final of 2023, easing past Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Rhian O’Sullivan in the latter stages to pocket the £1,000 runner-up prize.
O’Sullivan dumped out Greaves and Fallon Sherrock in a superb run to the semi-finals, ending Greaves’ 41-match winning run in the Women’s Series in the last 16.
The experienced Welsh star then fought back from 4-1 down to stun Sherrock in the quarter-finals, completing the comeback with a 14-dart break in the decider.
Ashton later rounded off Saturday’s play by ending her 15-month wait for a Women’s Series title, after claiming the scalps of Greaves and Sherrock in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
The four-time Women’s World Champion breezed through to the last eight without losing a leg, whitewashing Fiona Roberts, Ann Chilton, Chloe O’Brien and Robyn Byrne in the process.
The Lancashire stalwart then recorded a comprehensive 5-2 success against Greaves in the quarter-finals, before recovering from 3-1 down to deny Sherrock in a dramatic semi-final clash.
Ashton then capped off a dominant campaign with a five-leg blitz of Dobromyslova, wrapping up victory with a magnificent 144 checkout to move up to fourth on the Women's Series Order of Merit.
Dobromyslova, meanwhile, was featuring in her first Women’s Series final since October 2021, producing her best performance of the day in her semi-final demolition of De Graaf.
This weekend's PDC Women's Series action concludes with Events 19 & 20 on Sunday, as the race for World Championship qualification continues at the Robin Park Tennis Centre, live on PDCTV.
The top two non-qualified players from the final PDC Women's Series Order of Merit will qualify for the 2023/24 World Darts Championship, with current leader Greaves assured of qualification following her Women's World Matchplay exploits.
As a result, Suzuki and Sherrock are currently provisionally set to feature in this year's extravanganza, although Ashton is now just £650 behind the latter, courtesy of her resurgent run.
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2023 PDC Women’s Series
Saturday September 16
Event 17
Quarter-Finals
Mikuru Suzuki 5-1 Natalie Gilbert
Maria O’Brien 5-3 Adriana van Wijgerden-Vermaat
Lisa Ashton 5-1 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Rhian O’Sullivan 5-4 Fallon Sherrock
Semi-Finals
Mikuru Suzuki 5-1 Maria O’Brien
Lisa Ashton 5-2 Rhian O’Sullivan
Final
Mikuru Suzuki 5-1 Lisa Ashton
Event 18
Quarter-Finals
Anastasia Dobromyslova 5-4 Laura Turner
Aileen de Graaf 5-1 Rhian O'Sullivan
Lisa Ashton 5-2 Beau Greaves
Fallon Sherrock 5-1 Rowena Sidley
Semi-Finals
Anastasia Dobromyslova 5-1 Aileen de Graaf
Lisa Ashton 5-4 Fallon Sherrock
Final
Lisa Ashton 5-0 Anastasia Dobromyslova