Beau Greaves continued to make headlines in the world of professional darts by becoming the first female competitor to secure a win on the Professional Darts Corporation's European Tour. Her breakthrough performance earned her a place in the second round of the Czech Darts Open, where she will face world number two Luke Humphries.
The 22‑year‑old Englishwoman displayed remarkable resilience, overturning a 3‑1 deficit to defeat Daryl Gurney 6‑4 on the Friday night in Prague. The victory not only propels her into the last‑32 stage on Saturday evening, but also sets up a potential clash with Nathan Aspinall or Andrew Gilding in the third round scheduled for Sunday afternoon, depending on how the draw unfolds. Greaves' achievement adds to an already impressive list of firsts for women in the PDC.
Earlier this year, she became the inaugural female player to hit a nine‑dart finish on the PDC Pro Tour, a feat she accomplished against Mensur Suljovic in February. Later, she captured her first PDC ranking title by edging Michael Smith 8‑7 in Players Championship 11, making her the first woman to win a ranking event. In addition, she broke another barrier by qualifying for a European Tour tournament for the first time when she reached the Hungarian Darts Trophy last month.
Although she fell to Rob Cross in the opening round of the Budapest event—despite posting an impressive 104 average—Greaves' run in Prague demonstrates that she can translate high scoring into match wins. She sealed her triumph over Gurney by hitting a decisive double one, a moment that echoed her earlier narrow 3‑2 loss to the same opponent in the first round of the 2026 World Championship. Speaking after the match, Greaves described the experience as "amazing" and admitted that nerves had threatened her early on. "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," she said. She added that the support from the crowd in Prague was a key factor: "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 comeback was particularly impressive after Gurney produced a 144 checkout early in the match—a finish that had previously helped him defeat Greaves at Alexandra Palace late last year. Greaves fought back by winning three consecutive legs in 14, 13 and 11 darts, showcasing both her scoring power and finishing precision. Looking ahead to her encounter with Humphries, Greaves recalled their previous meeting at the 2025 UK Open and emphasized the need to raise her game. "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," she affirmed. The Czech Darts Open featured other notable storylines on Friday.
Young talent Niko Springer posted a 102 average while whitewashing Martin Homola 6‑0, earning a second‑round showdown with world number one Luke Littler. Springer expressed confidence ahead of the match, saying, "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." Big‑name players such as Joe Cullen, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Rob Cross suffered early exits, falling to 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 of the Czech Darts Open, entered the event as the defending champion after dominant victories over Kim Huybrechts (8‑1) in 2024 and Josh Rock (8‑5) in 2023. Known as "Cool Hand," he is aiming for a fourth title in five years, having also defeated Rob Cross 8‑5 in the 2022 final. Other top seeds in Prague include Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, who are slated to face Mario Vandenbogaerde and Callan Rydz respectively on Saturday night.
The tournament schedule features an afternoon session at 12:00 BST and an evening session at 18:00 BST, with both sessions repeated on the following day. Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for darts, covering major events such as 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 through the NOW platform without a contractual commitment.
Greaves' historic win in Prague underscores the rapid progress of women in professional darts and signals a new era where gender barriers are increasingly being dismantled. Her blend of composure, high scoring, and clutch finishing suggests that she will remain a formidable contender on the European Tour and beyond, inspiring a new generation of players to pursue excellence regardless of traditional boundaries.