Beau Greaves’ World Championship Challenge: can She Upset Daryl Gurney and Follow in Sherrock’s footsteps?
The World Darts Championship is set for a potential upset as rising star Beau Greaves prepares to face seasoned professional Daryl Gurney in the first round. Sky Sports analyst Laura Turner believes the 21-year-old from Doncaster, nicknamed ‘Beau ‘n’ Arrow,’ possesses the talent to defeat “anybody on her day.”
Greaves, a three-time women’s world champion, will face off against World Cup winner Gurney in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round. The young dart player recently demonstrated her prowess at the Grand Slam of Darts, pushing established stars Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson to their limits, signaling she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Greaves’ recent dominance on the PDC Women’s Series is undeniable. She currently boasts an astonishing record of 86 wins in a row, alongside 13 consecutive women’s series titles, 3 consecutive weekends without a loss, and a total of 18 Women’s series titles in 2025. This incredible run of form has propelled her into the conversation as a potential contender on the biggest stage.
Turner acknowledges the challenge Gurney presents, stating, “Gurney has been right up and in amongst it, but then subsequently the last few years, he’s just been off the pace. But this year he’s been much better. Winning the World Cup and then coming back, he’s been having better runs in these major tournaments. I think he’s going to be really, really tough for Beau to get past.” Though, she remains confident in Greaves’ ability, adding, “However, Greaves on her day can beat absolutely anybody. I just think this is another one that could be really close. One of them could run away with it. I think it’s who turns up with their best game on the day.”
The set-play format of the World Championship could favor Greaves, according to Turner. “Rather of being one long race to 10, 11 legs, you can look at it as individual matches, essentially.so it’s a race to three, and then just…
you’ve seen the likes of a Luke Littler do it.Beau’s done it gradually and she’s done it to suit her situation. And I think it’s great – I can’t wait till next year!”
Other notable first-round matchups include Fallon Sherrock facing Dave Chisnall, a contest turner believes could favor Sherrock given Chisnall’s recent struggles. A discussion assessing the potential impact of Greaves on the PDC circuit can be found here. Lisa Ashton will challenge former world champion Michael Smith, while Gemma Hayter faces a tough test against Josh Rock, and Noa-Lynn van Leuven will compete against two-time world champion Peter Wright.
Turner acknowledged the challenge for Hayter, stating, “I’d say out of the five women that are in it, then for me, she’s got by far the toughest draw as Rock is a real favorite going into this event and you can understand why.This is a massive, massive test for Gemma.” she also noted van Leuven’s potential, saying, “Noa-Lynn has picked up titles on the women’s series, but she’s won a Challenger Tour title as well. Peter Wright – we know he’s got a big game and we know he can perform on that big stage but we haven’t seen a great deal from him in 2025.”
This year’s World Darts Championship features an expanded field of 128 players,with all seeded players competing twice before Christmas. Sky Sports will continue to be the primary broadcaster for major darts events, including the Premier League, World Cup of Darts, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, grand Slam of Darts, and World Darts Championship.The stage is set for a thrilling tournament, and all eyes will be on Beau Greaves to see if she can deliver on her immense potential and inspire a new generation of female darts players.
