Beau Greaves became the first woman to win a PDC ranking title after beating seven different opponents including three former world champions to claim Players Championship 11
Beau Greaves became the first woman to claim a PDC ranking title after defeating three former world champions consecutively. Greaves, 22, produced an incredible streak of form to secure Players Championship 11 in remarkable fashion.
The ProTour event proved to be a historic moment for women’s darts in Milton Keynes. Greaves encountered seven different rivals and conquered them all, initially narrowly beating Aden Kirk and Thomas Lovely 6-4. She then dispatched Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-2, before marginally getting the upper hand against Czech ace Karel Sedlacek. From that point onwards, the tension was ramped up to boiling point as she was matched against 2018 World Champion Rob Cross.
Greaves toppled ‘Voltage’ in a thrilling final decider, before facing two-time Ally Pally champion Gary Anderson in the semi-finals. While many would have backed the ‘Flying Scotsman’ to overcome ‘Beau and Arrow’ it was the 22-year-old who prevailed in commanding style.
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She demolished Anderson 7-1, twelve months after he defeated her in a nail-biting final leg decider at the Grand Slam of Darts. Following her merciless victory, she found herself one leg from making history.
The 2023 World Champion and former World No. 1 Michael Smith blocked her route. In another final leg decider, it seemed ‘Bully Boy’ was set to claim the tournament, after scoring 142 from 162 to leave a double ten checkout. Greaves was left on 142, but rather than crumbling under the pressure, she fired in two treble 20s and struck double 11 to claim the decider and become the first female winner of a PDC ranking title.
Smith seemed to feel defeat was inevitable when she landed the first treble, Bully Boy could be spotted rolling his eyes, almost as if he knew Greaves was going to finish the 142.
When the second treble arrived, he turned to his table and started packing his darts away, despite Greaves still requiring the double 11. When she found the crucial match dart, she celebrated, placed both hands over her face and started to shed tears of joy.
In their first to eight legs encounter, she averaged 96.49, landed two 180s and converted 80% of her double attempts, including a spectacular 170 finish, shortly after she sealed her victory over Anderson with the Big Fish.
Smith also demonstrated his class by offering his younger rival a hug and a pat on the back, while she attempted to process her feelings of overwhelming happiness.
Following her triumph, she said: “I’ve had a great year, but I never thought I’d win one of these. Never, ever.”
She added: “I can’t believe it. I was up a fair few legs and I started to think about it. It caught up with me. I don’t know if I thought about being the first woman to do one. I can’t believe I hit that. I can’t believe I took out that.
“I have had a great year but I would never have thought I would win one. I had a good run last week and I said to the lads I sit on the table with that I felt like I hadn’t played well but I was getting results.
“Today I felt like I played really well. I am so happy I can’t even describe how I feel.”