Gurney beats Greaves in deciding set at PDC Worlds

Beau Greaves fell just short of becoming the second female player to win a match at the PDC World Championship, losing in a deciding set in the first round to 22nd seed Daryl Gurney at Alexandra Palace.

The 21-year-old from Doncaster was aiming to follow the lead of Fallon Sherrock, who created history by winning two matches at the 2020 tournament.

The first four sets all went against the throw, with Gurney twice winning deciding legs to hit the front before being pegged back.

Greaves needed a total of just 37 darts to win three successive legs in the second set, with a 128 checkout on the bullseye sealing a 12-dart break of throw, followed by a 10-darter to level the match at one set all.

In the decider, Gurney hit a stunning 144 checkout to move within one leg of victory and wrapped up the 3-2 win shortly after Greaves narrowly missed a 148 to extend the match.

“For me, she is the best female darts player on the planet,” said Gurney, a two-time major champion and a World Cup winner with Northern Ireland in June.

He said on stage: “If there’s going to be a darts player that can win the World Championship or any majors, that’s the player you want to look to. What a player.

“Everybody said she was favourite going into the game, but I showed my class and composure and got over the finish line.”

Many had high hopes for Greaves at the World Championship at the end of an excellent 2025.

She topped the Women’s Series, helped by an 86-match winning run at the end of the campaign, while also reaching the final of the World Youth Championship and earning a PDC tour card for next year as a result of her performances on the Development Tour.

Gurney, 39, added: “Next year, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. She’s going to win some PDC tournaments.”

Greaves lost 3-0 to William O’Connor in her only previous appearance at the World Championship in December 2022. She declined invitations in each of the following two years, choosing instead to compete in the WDF Women’s World Championship – winning that title on both occasions.

O’Connor, opening Friday’s evening session, produced one of the best displays of this year’s first round, averaging 102.36 in a 3-0 win over Poland’s Krzysztof Kciuk, and he will play three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two.

Former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall recovered from dropping the first set in his match against Lourence Ilagan of the Philippines, fighting back to win 3-1 and sealing victory with a 170 checkout.

In round two, English 15th seed Aspinall will play American Leonard Gates, who defeated Mickey Mansell 3-2 earlier in the day.

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock began his campaign with a 3-1 first-round triumph over England’s Gemma Hayter.

Rock, 24, is the tournament’s 11th seed and runs to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, World Series Finals and UK Open this year, as well as winning the World Cup alongside Gurney, mean he is considered among the favourites for the world title.

Poor finishing from Rock in the third set, in which he hit just one of his 11 attempts at doubles, led to Hayter pulling a set back after she had fallen 2-0 behind.

Her level rose as the match progressed and she took the fourth set to a deciding leg, before Rock successfully checked out 81 to seal victory and he will take on Australian Joe Comito in round two.

Kevin Doets, Ryan Meikle and Keane Barry were the other winners as a nine-day stint of first-round matches came to an end.

The second round will begin on Saturday, with fourth seed Stephen Bunting and 2023 winner Michael Smith among those hoping to secure places in the last 32.

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