Beau Greaves continued to break new ground in professional darts when she became the first female competitor to win a match on the Professional Darts Corporation's European Tour. Her triumph over Daryl Gurney in Prague secured her a second‑round encounter with world number two Luke Humphries at the Czech Darts Open, marking yet another historic chapter in her rapidly rising career. The 22‑year‑old Englishwoman displayed remarkable resilience, overturning a 3‑1 deficit to clinch a 6‑4 win over the seasoned Northern Irish player.
The match, played on Friday night in the Czech capital, saw Greaves fire three consecutive legs in 14, 13 and 11 darts, ultimately sealing the victory with a double‑one finish. With that win, she now advances to the last‑32, where she will meet Humphries on Saturday evening.
The winner of that clash will go on to face either Nathan Aspinall or Andrew Gilding in the third round on Sunday afternoon. Greaves' achievement follows a string of firsts that have already reshaped the perception of women in the sport. Earlier this year, she recorded the inaugural nine‑dart finish by a woman on the PDC Pro Tour, doing so against Mensur Suljovic in February. She also captured her first PDC ranking title at Players Championship 11, edging out Michael Smith in a nail‑biting 8‑7 thriller.
In addition, she became the first female to qualify for a European Tour event when she reached the Hungarian Darts Trophy last month. Although Greaves fell to Rob Cross in the opening round of the Budapest event, despite posting an impressive 104 average, her performance in Prague demonstrates that she can compete with the very best. The victory over Gurney is particularly sweet because she had previously lost a close 3‑2 match to him in the first round of the 2026 World Championship.
After the win, Greaves described 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 Yorkshirewoman's composure under pressure was evident when she responded to an early two‑leg setback after Gurney produced a 144 checkout – the same finish that had helped him defeat her at Alexandra Palace late last year.
Greaves' ability to rebound quickly and string together high‑scoring legs highlighted her growing mental toughness and technical proficiency. Looking ahead to her match with Humphries, Greaves reflected on a previous encounter at the 2025 UK Open: "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." Her confidence suggests she is not merely content with breaking barriers; she aims to contend for titles.
Other notable storylines from Friday's action included Niko Springer, who posted a 102 average while whitewashing Martin Homola 6‑0, earning a second‑round meeting with world number one Luke Littler. Springer remained unfazed, stating, "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 day also saw several high‑profile exits: Joe Cullen, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Rob Cross were all eliminated by Stephen Burton, Mario Vandenbogaerde and Keane Barry respectively.
Meanwhile, seeded players Luke Humphries and Luke Littler both received byes into round two as part of the tournament's 16‑seed structure. Humphries, a two‑time champion at the Czech Darts Open, entered the event as the defending champion after thrashing Kim Huybrechts 8‑1 in the 2024 final and overcoming Josh Rock 8‑5 the previous year. Known as "Cool Hand," he is targeting a fourth title in five years, having also defeated Cross 8‑5 in the 2022 final. Other seeded stars such as Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price are slated to appear on the Saturday night programme, with van Gerwen facing Vandenbogaerde and Price taking on Callan Rydz.
The tournament schedule features afternoon sessions at 12:00 BST and evening sessions at 18:00 BST, providing ample viewing opportunities for fans worldwide. For those wanting to follow the action, Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering major events like 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). In addition, viewers can stream live darts and related content through the NOW platform without the need for a long‑term contract, ensuring that the sport remains accessible to a broad audience.
Greaves' breakthrough at the Czech Darts Open not only adds another accolade to her burgeoning résumé but also underscores the increasing competitiveness of women on the professional darts circuit. As she prepares for the upcoming clash with Humphries and potentially further rounds, the darts community will be watching closely to see whether she can translate her historic victories into sustained success on the biggest stages.