Clare Bywaters, Didcot's reigning European women's singles champion, has set her sights on the world crown after reaching the semi-finals at the Lakeside Leisure Centre, Frimley Green.

The 31-year-old, who beat Denmark's world No 3, Carina Ekberg, 2-0, now has to get past her great rival and world No 2 Francisca Hoenselaar - whom she beat last year to win the European Cup in Belgium - on Friday to make Saturday's final.

Bywaters, who is at her first world finals after fighting her way through the qualifying rounds, said: "It's what every player dreams about - playing on the stage at the Lakeside.

"It was absolutely amazing. After winning the quarter-finals I'm confident I can do it and win the final, you've got to be. But of course I have to beat Francisca first.

"I have been practising a lot more and that has made me a much better player. I try and do as much as I can.

I'm travelling down on Thursday and staying the whole weekend, regardless of whether I get through to the final."

Should Bywaters, an assistant financial controller, beat the Dutch star then she could face world champion Trina Gulliver, if the England ace sees off Hoenslaar's teammate, Karin Krappen, in their semi-final on Thursday.

But Bywaters, who has played for The Shears team in Wantage for more than 12 years, would face an awesome task to defeat Gulliver, who is unbeaten at Frimley.

In September, Bywaters joined forces with England captain Gulliver to land the pairs crown at the World Cup in France where Gulliver also won the singles title.

Bywaters, who plays representative darts for Warwickshire, comes from a sporting family, her father, Peter, having played football for Wantage Town.

And she got hooked on darts through her mother Marion, who roped her into the Shears team when they were a player short.

Bywaters added: "I'm hoping we can raise the profile of women's darts, because I think there is a lot of interest in it."

Her mum and dad were at Frimley to watch Clare triumph in the quarter-finals.

And Peter said: "We'll be travelling down to watch her on Friday to see her in the semi-finals and hopefully we'll be staying there until the final.

"The wife goes to watch her more than I do. I went to see her a couple of times and she lost.

"I thought I was a bit of a bad omen at one time, so I stayed away.

"I think I had more nerves than she had."