Fallon Sherrock takes a bit of time to find the winning double in leg three, but eventually she lands a dart in double one to retake the lead in the fourth set.

With that Ryan Meikle hold of throw, we're guaranteed something that we haven't had before in this match - a fourth leg in a set.

The first three sets were all won 3-0.

Fallon Sherrock stops a run of six straight legs for Ryan Meikle and in some style, with two 180s in the opening leg of the fourth set.

Image source, PA Media

Rod Studd
Commentator on Sky Sports

Ryan Meikle lost the first set but now he is in front, and Fallon Sherrock has to try to force a deciding set.

Another 3-0 clean sweep in a set for Ryan Meikle, who is now 2-1 ahead in sets and one set away from setting up a second-round match against teenage sensation Luke Littler.

Five legs in a row for Ryan Meikle, the latest coming courtesy of a 119 checkout - his second ton-plus finish of the match.

Ryan Meikle flies out of the blocks at the start of the third set, but Fallon Sherrock finds some scoring power late in the leg to put some pressure on.

Eventually Meikle gets it done, but it wasn't a convincing finish by any means.

Once this match is completed, Peter Wright will be up next against Wesley Plaisier in the second round.

"I'm a little bit nervous," Wright, the 2020 and 2022 world champion, tells Sky Sports.

"Obviously I've gone out early in the past couple of years and Wesley is no mug, so I'm looking forward to it and will just be taking it leg by leg, set by set. Hopefully I'll come back after Christmas."

Wright, who has been a fixture in the upper echelons of the PDC rankings for the past decade or so, began this tournament outside the top 16.

A superb 111 finish gets Ryan Meikle back to one set all against Fallon Sherrock.

It's finely poised, but the momentum has swung in Meikle's favour.

Ryan Meikle is on the brink of levelling the match. He needs all three darts to hit double top, although to be fair, the first two were all over the top wire.

He couldn't have got much closer without finding the red segment.

Image source, PA Media

Ryan Meikle has been nowhere near his best level in the opening stages of this match. There's a frustrated look on his face as he retrieves his darts having followed a 140 with a score of 40.

But he later finds double 10 to get his first leg of the match on the board. It's a break of throw, too.

Alexandra Palace is situated in North London and has staged the PDC World Darts Championship every year since the 2008 edition, won by John Part of Canada.

Between 1994 and 2007, it was held at Circus Tavern in Purfleet.

The Ally Pally is also the home of snooker's Masters event, which is played every January.

In a roundabout way, Fallon Sherrock is a set to the good!

With 78 left, Sherrock hits a big four with her first dart, but goes treble 14 then double 16 to make the perfect start to this first-round match.

There's little doubt who most in the crowd are supporting.

And there was quite a welcome for Fallon Sherrock - aka the Queen of the Palace - as she returned to Ally Pally.

"There's only one Fallon Sherrock" was the chant around the arena.

Image source, PA Media

A comfortable hold of throw for Fallon Sherrock to move within one leg of the first set.

She makes a bit of a mess of 74, failing to get a shot at double, but Ryan Meikle is way back and Sherrock mops up on double five at her next visit.

We get a look at former NFL player, now TV pundit, Jason Bell in the audience as this first-round match gets under way.

A sedate start by both players, Fallon Sherrock misses a chance at a 104 finish, but Ryan Meikle misses three attempts at double 10 and Sherrock is back to break the throw.

*denotes throwing first in next leg

One thing Ryan Meikle, known as "The Barber", might have to deal with tonight is a partisan crowd.

Fallon Sherrock always gets huge support at the Ally Pally. If she starts well, they're sure to be on her side once more.

Certainly helps if you've got a decent walk-on song and the crowd were getting well involved with it.

Laura Turner
Ex-Women's World Championship quarter-finalist on Sky Sports

It [Sherrock v Littler] is the tie that everyone wants to see but Ryan Meikle is a very strong competitor and will have a lot to say about who makes it through that particular match.

I play alongside Fallon, I know the level she's got and I hope to see a fantastic performance from her.

John Part
Former PDC world champion on Sky Sports

It's a real media-rich environment - whoever wins tonight's match would relish getting into the Littler spotlight, as it's so huge right now.

It could be career changing, or reinvigorating, for either of them to win and go and play Luke.

Image source, Getty Images

Fallon Sherrock catapulted herself into sporting superstardom in December 2019 by becoming the first female player to win a match at the PDC World Championship.

She followed up her first-round success against Ted Evetts by knocking out Mensur Suljovic, then the world number 11, to reach the last 32.

Her run was ended by Chris Dobey, but Sherrock's performances at Alexandra Palace led to an appearance as a Premier League "challenger" in 2020 and places in several World Series events.

She lost in the Nordic Darts Masters final in 2021, the same year in which she got to the Grand Slam quarter-finals and lost narrowly to Peter Wright.