Beau Greaves continued to break new ground in professional darts by becoming the inaugural woman to claim a match win on the Professional Darts Corporation’s European Tour. Her triumph over Daryl Gurney secured a second‑round encounter with world number two Luke Humphries at the Czech Darts Open in Prague.
The 22‑year‑old Englishwoman mounted a remarkable comeback after trailing 3‑1, ultimately edging Gurney 6‑4 on Friday night. This win sets up a last‑32 showdown with Humphries on Saturday evening, with the victor slated to face either Nathan Aspinall or Andrew Gilding in the third round on Sunday afternoon.
Greaves’ latest achievement follows a string of historic firsts. In February she became the first female competitor to throw a nine‑dart finish on the PDC Pro Tour, doing so against Mensur Suljovic.
She also broke new territory by clinching a PDC ranking title, narrowly defeating Michael Smith 8‑7 at Players Championship 11. Earlier in the year she was the first woman to qualify for a European Tour event when she reached the Hungarian Darts Trophy. Although she fell to Rob Cross in the opening round of the Budapest event despite posting a 104 average, Greaves’ performance in Prague demonstrated that she can sustain her breakthrough form.
She sealed the victory over Gurney by hitting a double one, a fitting finish after a tight contest that saw her win three consecutive legs in 14, 13 and 11 darts respectively. After the match, Greaves reflected on the experience: "It feels amazing.
It's just so nice to win a game, I was so nervous at the start, I don't know why. It took me so long to get settled. It means loads to me, the crowd's fantastic.
It's such a tight stage and you feel so much from the crowd. I'm really enjoying it and loving the experience." The Yorkshire native showed great resilience, erasing an early two‑leg deficit after Gurney produced a 144 checkout – the same finish that had helped him beat Greaves at Alexandra Palace late last year. Greaves’ composure under pressure was evident as she steadied her rhythm and began to dominate the latter stages of the match. Looking ahead to her clash with Humphries, a player she previously met at the 2025 UK Open, Greaves said: "I've played Luke on the big stage before so I know what to expect, he's world class so I'm going to have to play a lot better than I did tonight.
What more do you want than on a Euro Tour to play one of the best players in the world? I'll look forward to it and I'll be ready." Other notable performances on Friday included Niko Springer, who posted a 102 average and dispatched Martin Homola 6‑0, earning a second‑round meeting with world number one Luke Littler.
Springer expressed confidence, noting, "I have nothing to lose to be honest. I'm feeling very confident.
Of course it will be hard, but it's best of 11, so let's go, I'm ready." The tournament also saw several high‑profile upsets. Joe Cullen, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Rob Cross were all eliminated, falling to Stephen Burton, Mario Vandenbogaerde and Keane Barry respectively.
Meanwhile, seeded players Luke Humphries and Luke Littler both received byes into the second round as part of the 16‑player seed system. Humphries, who has dominated the Czech Darts Open in recent years, is aiming for a fourth title in five editions. He captured the 2024 championship with an 8‑1 demolition of Kim Huybrechts and defended the crown in 2023 by beating Josh Rock 8‑5. Known as "Cool Hand," Humphries overcame Rob Cross 8‑5 in the 2022 final and is keen to add another trophy to his collection.
Other seeds in Prague include Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, who are scheduled to face Mario Vandenbogaerde and Callan Rydz respectively on Saturday night. The event’s schedule is split into an afternoon session at 12:00 BST and an evening session at 18:00 BST.
Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering the World Grand Prix (28 September–4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14–22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December–3 January). Fans can also stream live darts and additional content via the NOW platform, which offers contract‑free access to a range of sporting events.
Greaves’ historic win not only adds another milestone to her rapidly growing résumé but also underscores the increasing competitiveness of women in the traditionally male‑dominated arena of professional darts. Her success serves as an inspiration for aspiring female players and signals a broader shift toward greater gender diversity on the sport’s biggest stages. As the Czech Darts Open progresses, all eyes will be on Greaves to see whether she can translate her momentum into another upset, potentially reshaping the narrative of women’s participation at the highest level of the PDC.