Fallon Sherrock will step onto the oche at Alexandra Palace on Thursday evening, continuing her remarkable association with the World Darts Championship.
The encounter with Dave Chisnall represents her sixth appearance at the prestigious north London venue across the past seven festive seasons.
Chisnall, hailing from St Helens, held a position as high as fifth in the world rankings just last year, though his recent form has dipped somewhat.
For Sherrock, the match offers a genuine opportunity to recapture former glories at the tournament where she first captured the nation's imagination.
Fallon Sherrock stepped away from darts to address health concerns | PALast December, she suffered a narrow loss to Ryan Meikle, denying her a tantalising second-round meeting with teenage sensation Luke Littler.
The 30-year-old has endured a challenging period away from the spotlight, with health concerns prompting consideration of a competitive hiatus.
During the summer months, she disclosed difficulties maintaining energy levels and stamina following an unspecified illness.
Sherrock, who became unwell after the birth of her son Rory in 2014, has previously required medication for kidney problems.
She also broke up with fellow darts player Cameron Menzies this year, who has suffered his own mental health troubles and recently made headlines after his explosive reaction to crashing out of the World Darts Championship.
However, the former hairdresser now reports a significant improvement in her condition.
"I feel 100 per cent better than what I did," she said. "I'm not going to jinx anything.
Cameron Menzies and Fallon Sherrock were darts' biggest couple | PA"I definitely feel a bit more energetic and you know, more positive in myself and less tired."
The single mother added: "My darts are slowly getting back to normal, so I have nothing to be unhappy about."
The spotlight at this year's championship has largely shifted elsewhere, with attention firmly fixed on Beau Greaves, who takes on Daryl Gurney on Friday evening.
Five women feature in the 128-player field, yet Greaves commands the headlines as the standout female competitor.
Sherrock welcomes this arrangement rather than resenting it.
"I've always said I'd rather be under the radar," she explained. "I've always been that person to just kind of slip through the net and then do something special and not expected.
"I'd rather be under the radar and kind of create a shock than for it to be expected."
She acknowledged that carrying the mantle of women's darts brought considerable pressure she never sought.
"Beau's exceeding and doing everything. I'm like, yeah, okay, all eyes on her. I'm just gonna go enjoy myself and relax."
Fallon Sherrock is a popular figure at Ally Pally | PASix years have passed since Sherrock made history by defeating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic, becoming the first woman to triumph at the tournament.
The intervening period has brought four consecutive first-round exits between 2002 and 2005, allowing memories of those groundbreaking victories to fade somewhat.
In preparation for Thursday's contest, she stepped away from the exhibition circuit for a month, dedicating hours each day to practice sessions with a friend in Stoke.
"It's frustrating because I never thought I've played that badly since (2019)," she reflected. "I believe you need a little bit of luck as well."
The experience accumulated through victories and defeats has taught her to handle pressure more effectively, she believes.
"Once I get my game sorted, I think I could be better than what I was."