Gulliver and Ashton claim PDC Women’s Series wins

Laura Turner finishes runner-up twice in PDC Women’s Series in Wigan as Trina Gulliver returns to winning ways in Event Five, while Lisa Ashton makes it four wins from six events by taking the honours in Event Six

Trina Gulliver in action at the 2019 BDO World Darts Championship

Trina Gulliver rolled back the years as she claimed victory in Event Five of the PDC Women’s Series in Wigan.

The 52-year-old, who won the last of her 10 world titles in 2016, eased to a 5-1 win over Laura Turner in the first of the day’s two finals.

Gulliver started with a 4-0 defeat of Sharon Godbeer and followed up by beating Wendy Reinstadtler 4-2 before a 4-1 triumph over Jane Monaghan.

Lerena Rietbergen was sent packing 4-2 in the last 16 and Rhian O’Sullivan fell 4-1 in the quarter-finals before ‘Golden Girl’ Gulliver saw off Jane Densley 5-2 to set up the showdown with Sky Sports commentator and pundit Turner.

Gulliver told pdc.tv: “I’m really pleased to win. It’s been a case of see how I go, to win it is obviously a bonus but I am really enjoying these events.”

Turner had reached the final with an impressive 5-1 victory over Fallon Sherrock in the last four.

Sherrock won Event Three on the opening weekend of the Women’s Series in Wigan last month when Lisa Ashton won the other three events.

Ashton, 51, exited at the last-64 stage with a 4-2 defeat to Mikuru Suzuki, the 2019 and 2020 world champion from Japan, who subsequently lost 4-1 to Sherrock in the quarter-finals.

There was to be no double success for Gulliver, however, as she fell at the first hurdle in Event Six as she lost 4-1 to Lorraine Hyde in the last 64, where Sherrock was stunned 4-3 by Lerena Rietbergen of the Netherlands.

But Ashton returned to winning ways to notch her fourth success of the competition with Turner once again having to settle for the runner-up spot as ‘The Lancashire Rose’ prevailed 5-2 in the final.

Lisa Ashton suffered a rare early exit in Event Five before bouncing back to win Event Six

Ashton whitewashed Sandra Page and Tara Deamer 4-0 in the opening two rounds before battling past Yukie Sakaguchi 4-3 in the last 32.

Lorraine Winstanley was then also brushed aside 4-0 before Ashton avenged her earlier defeat to Suzuki with a 4-3 quarter-final success.

She then defeated Robyn Byrne 5-1 in the semi-finals to set up the clash with Turner, who saw off Chloe O’Brien in the last four.

Events Seven and Eight will be played in Wigan on Sunday.

The top two players from the final PDC Women’s Series Order of Merit will qualify to compete in the 2022/23 World Darts Championship and 2022 Grand Slam of Darts, while the top eight players on the Order of Merit after Event 12 will qualify for the 2022 Women’s World Matchplay.