Beau Greaves continued to break new ground in professional darts when she became the first female competitor to claim a match win on the PDC European Tour. Her triumph over Daryl Gurney in the opening round of the Czech Darts Open not only secured her a place in the second round against world number two Luke Humphries, but also underscored her rapidly growing stature in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
The 22-year-old Englishwoman displayed remarkable resilience on the oche in Prague on Friday night. After falling behind 3-1, Greaves fought back with a series of high‑scoring visits and composure under pressure, ultimately prevailing 6-4.
Her comeback was highlighted by a decisive double‑one finish that clinched the match, a moment that will be remembered by fans and commentators alike. With this win, she now advances to the last‑32 stage, where she will meet Humphries on Saturday evening.
The winner of that encounter will go on to face either Nathan Aspinall or Andrew Gilding in the third round on Sunday afternoon. Greaves' achievement builds on a string of historic firsts she has already set this year. In February she became the inaugural woman to hit a nine‑dart finish on the PDC Pro Tour, doing so against Mensur Suljovic. Later, she captured her first PDC ranking title by edging Michael Smith 8-7 in Players Championship 11, another landmark that demonstrated her ability to compete toe‑to‑toe with the sport's elite.
Earlier in the season she also broke ground by qualifying for a European Tour event for the first time, reaching the Hungarian Darts Trophy. Although she suffered a first‑round loss to Rob Cross in Budapest despite posting an impressive 104 average, Greaves proved that a single setback does not define her trajectory.
In Prague she showed why she belongs among the top contenders, especially after a dramatic finish that saw her hit three consecutive legs in 14, 13 and 11 darts. Reflecting on the victory, she said, "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 also demonstrated mental fortitude when Gurney produced a 144 checkout to level the match early on. Greaves responded by stringing together high‑quality scores and maintaining her composure, ultimately overturning the early deficit.
She recalled her previous encounter with Gurney at the 2026 World Championship, where she had narrowly lost 3-2, and noted that the experience helped her stay focused this time. Looking ahead to her showdown with Luke Humphries, Greaves expressed confidence tempered with respect. "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 said. The match promises to be a compelling test of skill, as Humphries, a seasoned campaigner, will be looking to add another European Tour title to his résumé.
The rest of the tournament also featured notable storylines. On Friday, German youngster Niko Springer posted a 102 average and dispatched Martin Homola 6-0, earning a second‑round meeting with world number one Luke Littler. Springer remarked, "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." Other big names stumbled early: Joe Cullen, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Rob Cross were all eliminated by lower‑ranked opponents Stephen Burton, Mario Vandenbogaerde and Keane Barry respectively, underscoring the depth of talent on the tour. Luke Humphries, who received a bye to the second round as one of the 16 seeded players, is the defending champion of the Czech Darts Open, having won the event in both 2023 and 2024. He dispatched Kim Huybrechts 8-1 in the 2024 final and beat Josh Rock 8-5 last year.
Known as "Cool Hand," Humphries is now aiming for a fourth title in five years at the Prague venue. Other seeded players include Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, who will face Mario Vandenbogaerde and Callan Rydz respectively on Saturday night. The tournament schedule is split into afternoon sessions at 12:00 BST and evening sessions at 18:00 BST, offering fans multiple viewing windows.
Beyond the Czech Darts Open, Sky Sports continues to be the primary broadcaster for the sport, covering upcoming marquee 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, which offers contract‑free access to a wide range of sports and entertainment programming. Greaves' historic win in Prague adds another chapter to her rapidly expanding legacy. By consistently breaking barriers and delivering top‑level performances, she is not only inspiring a new generation of female darts players but also reshaping the perception of what is possible on the professional circuit.
As she prepares for the challenge of facing Luke Humphries, the darts world will be watching closely, eager to see whether she can continue her remarkable run and perhaps secure another groundbreaking victory.