Biography
Anastasia Dobromyslova has wowed the world of darts for the past two years and she has already caused quite a stir since switching to the PDC to take on the very best.
She is now one of the most recognisable faces in the sport – adding a touch of glamour to darts – but with an immense talent that has already taken her to the pinnacle of the women’s game.
Nicknamed ‘From Russia with Love’ she has a passion for the sport of darts!
Anastasia shook up the Lakeside when she was crowned 2008 World Champion – ending the run of Trina Gulliver with a terrific performance.
That World Championship crown earned her instant fame and nowadays she’s shaking up the world of PDC darts – regularly beating the men on the circuit and she has already proved that she belongs among the elite in the sport.
It was a gamble worth taking!
“The guys have been fine with me at the tournaments. They respect what I’m trying to do and I appreciate that,” Anastasia said.
“I am enjoying myself on the PDC circuit,” she said. “For me, it’s all about improving my game and being competitive. Of course, it’s going to be tough but if I’d wanted it easy, I would have stayed at the BDO.”
She added: “Being with Unicorn will definitely help my game. I can develop my darts and with Unicorn’s backing, I know that I will get better and better.”
Back in 2008, Gulliver had been unbeaten at the Lakeside before enter stage right – a Russian with attitude and talent and Anastasia stunned the favourite – winning the World Championship by two sets to nil.
“I remember it being an amazing feeling,” Anastasia said. “I had worked really hard and practiced well and it was a case of job done. I was World Champion!”
But it has been her PDC TV performances that have caught the eye, when she has come so close to beating a big-name professional.
At the 2008 UK Open, Anastasia gave Scot Robert Thornton a massive shock on the main stage at Bolton. She led 2-1, and came from 2-4 down to force a deciding leg before being edged out 6-5.
She earned her spot at the Grand Slam of Darts and although she lost her three group games, Anastasia proved a big point. She lost to John Part and Kevin McDine but came agonisingly close to beating Wayne Mardle.
She lost the first four legs but produced some terrific darts to give Mardle the fright of his life, as she levelled at four apiece, before losing that deciding leg again.
But the moment that really sticks out for Anastasia was her appearance at the 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Championship when she graced the stage at the Alexandra Palace.
She received a wildcard to the tournament and was drawn to play Dutchman Remco van Eijden in the preliminary round. Anastasia was in huge demand with the media and when the day came, the Ally Pally was packed.
“It was incredible. There was that wow factor and the walk-on to the James Bond music was something that I’ll never forget. The whole crowd just went crazy. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” she said.
Sadly, Anastasia lost by 5 legs to 3 but again, she had put down a marker that she is here to stay and has a great future ahead of her….after all, she’s still only 24!
Anastasia has just claimed a 7th Russian Championship to add to an impressive CV – her only regret is not winning the World Masters. She lost in the 2008 Final to Francis Hoenselaar just before her switch to the PDC.
Anastasia also lost to Hoenselaar in the final of the World Darts Trophy back in 2004.
She is a World Cup winner and has won several big events in her BDO days – including the Finland Open, Dutch Open, Belgian Open, British Open, England Open…and she partnered Unicorn’s Irina Armstrong to win the 2007 World Cup Pairs title.
Since joining the ranks of the Professional Darts Corporation, the Russian has beaten several men including the likes of Kevin McDine and former World Champion Steve Beaton.
At a tournament in Scotland, she missed eight darts to win a match against former BDO World Champion Mark Webster for a place in the last 16. It was another frustration for Anastasia but the signs are certainly encouraging.
She has proved she belongs.
“I don’t know what the men think and I don’t care, because I am doing what I want to do and more good results will come with experience. I am focused and I know that I am competitive.”
Anastasia got married to darts player Tony Martin in October 2008 and the couple live in Ellesmere Port, in the North West of England. They first met at a tournament in Holland, where Tony lived at the time.
“I always ignored him at first!” she joked. “But now I just beat him regularly on the dart board when we practice at home!”
It all started as an 11-year-old in her home town of Tver (between Moscow and St.Petersburg) when she started throwing darts at after-school club. Four months later, Anastasia won her first tournament and the rest is history.
As a 13-year-old, she represented Russia at the Europe Cup in Denmark and it seems that she was always destined to become a World Champion.
And it was a rapid rise up the darting ladder.
Away from the oche, she was a schoolgirl kick-boxing champion but nowadays, darts takes up all her time.
For Anastasia, it all about facing down new challenges….she has coped well with a mountain of publicity and the eye of the media will always be fixed on her, as she continues to make great progress in a sport which had become a male bastion.
Life is pretty good at the moment and expect Anastasia to be writing many more darting headlines over the next few years, as she represents Team Unicorn around the world.