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 it up shortly after Greaves had 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 invites 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 produced one of the best displays of this year's first round in the opening match of Friday's second session, 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.

In the afternoon session, Northern Ireland's Josh Rock began his campaign with a 3-1 first-round triumph over England's Gemma Hayter.

The 24-year-old is the 11th seed at this year's event but 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.

Dutchman Kevin Doets set up a second-round meeting with Kenya's David Munyua with a 3-1 win against England's Matthew Dennant.

Doets averaged more than 92 but Dennant battled hard to remain in the contest, winning two legs in both the third and fourth sets, which were eventually claimed by Doets to seal victory.

American Leonard Gates defeated Northern Ireland's Mickey Mansell in an up-and-down tie.

Neither player managed to win consecutive sets as Gates went on to win 3-2, with one leg in the fourth set won by Mansell in 33 darts.

Englishman Ryan Meikle had a much more comfortable passage through to the second round, beating Argentina's Jesus Salate in straight sets.

After nine days of first-round matches, 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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