2017 BDO Women’s World Championship main contenders

Now aged 47, it’s fair to say Golden Girl is no longer her former dominant self, but she still managed to upset the odds last year in a thrilling final with Hedman to claim ‘La Decima’ and her first world crown since 2011.

Gulliver’s price of 16/1 this time around certainly looks very enticing, therefore, especially having just recently won the World Masters last month, seeing off the likes of Hedman again and potential quarter-final opponent De Graaf.

Lisa Ashton

Onto 15/8 tournament favourite Ashton now, The Lancashire Rose will be determined to claim a seventh major trophy after missing out on a third successive Worlds title last year when she lost to Gulliver in the quarters.

With 11 tournament triumphs during 2016, including the World Darts Trophy back in May, it is clear she is the one to beat.

However, her form has tailed off slightly having fallen short in the last two events at the World Masters and Zuiderduin Masters in December.

Deta Hedman

Jamaican-born Hedman is one of the most recognisable faces in darts, both men’s and women’s, having been in the game since the late 1980s and due to her success in the sport.

Now aged 57, three-time Worlds runner-up The Dark Destroyer is still going strong and is remarkably the top seed for the event.

Hedman will be splitting her time on the oche with also commentating on other matches this year, but after taking part in a great number of tournaments last year – of which she won 17 – she is a 9/4 shout to finally lift her first World Championship.

Anastasia Dobromyslova

Another who is a great price for the title this year is Russia’s finest darts player Dobromyslova, who has even shown the men a thing or two over the years having beaten the likes of former BDO world champion Steve Beaton, Vincent van der Voort, and PDC star Michael Smith.

Anastasia, still only 32, is a three-time winner of this event, though her last was back in 2013. Since then, she’s lost some of her form but has started to look back to her best and peaked just at the right time after claiming the Zuiderduin Masters title in her last competition.

From Russia With Love is a fantastic 8/1 to return to her homeland with yet more silverware – when she next decides to do so from her current base in England.

She’s certainly had some great preparation too, as 2014 BDO men’s world champion Stephen Bunting told us in an exclusive interview that Anastasia had been practising with him ahead of his last PDC Worlds campaign.

Fallon Sherrock

Now onto another starlet that is the future of the sport, 22-year-old Sherrock is already a major winner having lifted the 2015 Zuiderduin Masters, while earlier that year she also reached the final at the Worlds.

She narrowly lost out to Ashton on that occasion, though disappointingly crashed out at the first stage at the last event to Ann-Louise Peters, so she’ll be determined to make amends this time around when she takes on Scotland’s Olive Byamukama.

Sherrock is the 13/2 tournament fourth-favourite this year, ahead of the likes of Dobromyslova and Gulliver, after getting to at least the quarters in each of her last 12 events. If she does go on to win then she’ll be the youngest ever women’s world champion.

Aileen de Graaf

Last but certainly not least is two-time major champion De Graaf, who was unlucky to be knocked out by the spirited Gulliver in the semis last year.

The Dutchwoman is in the same quarter as Golden Girl this time out, but has a brilliant 12-2 record over her in total so may fancy her chances this time.

After reaching the final in three of her last four tournaments – winning two of them – it is fair to say that De Graaf is one of the form stars in the game right now, so like Dobromyslova is also priced at 8/1 to win her first Worlds crown.

Coral’s verdict

We believe that one of Hedman or Dobromyslova will triumph this year, but as both have been drawn in the same half only one can reach the final. It’s hard to look past Ashton being in the other semi-final, along with perhaps Gulliver.

2017 BDO Women’s World Championship schedule

First round
Trina Gulliver v Claire Brookin – Saturday (afternoon session)
Aileen de Graaf v Rachel Brooks – Saturday (evening session)
Lisa Ashton v Sharon Prins – Sunday (afternoon session)
Fallon Sherrock v Olive Byamukama – Sunday (evening session)
Lorraine Winstanley v Anca Zijlstra – Monday (evening session)
Deta Hedman v Casey Gallagher – Tuesday (afternoon session)
Anastasia Dobromyslova v Rhian Griffiths – Tuesday (evening session)
Corrine Hammond v Patricia Farrell – Wednesday (afternoon session)

Quarter-finals
Wednesday and Thursday (one in each session)

Semi-finals
Friday (afternoon and evening session)

Final
Saturday (evening session)

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