Emma Raducanu and Fallon Sherrock set for TV battle this weekend
Emma Raducanu: British teen wins US Open
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Emma Raducanu is set to go head-to-head with another female British sporting star on Sunday night (December 19) as the US Open champion remains the favourite to be named BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. ‘Queen of the Palace’ Fallon Sherrock is set to face Steve Beaton in the opening round of the PDC World Darts Championship on Sunday night, with Sky airing the match live at the same time as Raducanu’s potential SPOTY win.
Raducanu made history this year as the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam.
While ranked at world No 150 – a career-high for the teenager at the time – she entered the qualifying event at the US Open and managed to win ten matches in a row without dropping a set over the next three weeks, leaving as a Grand Slam champion.
Not only did it make the Bromley local the first qualifier in tennis history to win a Major, she was also the first woman to lift the title on just her second appearance at a Major.
It wasn’t her first taste of success at Grand Slam level either, as Raducanu had made a name for herself at Wimbledon earlier in the summer when she received a wildcard while ranked down at world No 338.
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Then 18 years old, she stormed into the second week during just her second ever pro tournament, before retiring from her round-of-16 match with breathing difficulties.
Raducanu’s antics earned her a BBC SPOTY nomination alongside Adam Peaty, Sarah Storey, Tom Daley, Tyson Fury and Raheem Sterling.
Now 19, the US Open champion is the bookies’ clear favourite to win the prestigious award.
The world No 19 will not be in Salford for the ceremony and, if crowned SPOTY, will appear via video link from the Middle East.
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The teenager is currently in Abu Dhabi where she was set to play an exhibition match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship but tested positive for Covid and was forced to withdraw.
She will complete her pre-season training and celebrate Christmas in Dubai before flying to Australia to start the 2022 season.
If she is named Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday (December 19), Raducanu will have to compete with another female British sporting sensation in the battle of the TV ratings while collecting her award.
Sherrock is set to take on ‘Bronzed Adonis’ Beaton in her opening match at the World Darts Championship on Sunday evening, with the blockbuster clash being aired live on Sky Sports.
The 27-year-old became the first female player to win any matches at the World Championship in Alexandra Palace back in 2019, earning her the ‘Queen of the Palace’ nickname.
She will be hoping to repeat her historic antics at Ally Pally once again this year but faces a tough draw in veteran Beaton, who will be making his record 31st appearance at the event.
“It’s a very exciting draw, isn’t it? I’m really excited because again I get to play an iconic person in the sport and I’m really privileged to play that and I’m excited to see what happens,” the Milton Keynes native told Sky Sports News when the draw was made.
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