Beau Greaves could soon be kicked out of the Women's World Matchplay - for being too good.
The leading player in the women's game, who suffered a shock defeat to eventual champion Lisa Ashton in the semi-finals a year ago, got back on form at the Winter Gardens on Sunday as she reclaimed the crown she has become so used to lifting, beating Fallon Sherrock in a deciding leg.
However, Greaves could soon be ineligible for the tournament as she ascends the PDC rankings. In April, she became the first woman to win a PDC ranking event when she took Players Championship 11, beating three world champions - Rob Cross, Gary Anderson and Michael Smith - in the process.
Top 64 barrier
In her first year on the PDC Tour, she has already moved up to 78th in the world rankings. If she climbs into the top 64, she will be barred from competing on the Women's Series and therefore the Women's World Matchplay. It would also see her retain her tour card.
Greaves is grateful for the support she has received from her peers on the women's circuit, even if she suspects they will be glad to see the back of her. "That's what I’m aiming for, that spot, and they all support me and all want me to do well. But I think they want me to leave this and do that!" she joked. "But that's what I want, I want to be a professional darts player. That's the main goal, just enjoy my darts and end up in that top 64."
Love for the ladies' game
Greaves admits she would miss playing in the Women's Series, adding: "I simply get more enjoyment out of the ladies' game. It's not because I win a lot, [it's because] I get to see the girls and I'm getting a lot of enjoyment out of playing the game. Some of the girls have said to me, 'Are you not tired?' No, I'm fresh. Sometimes, I've had some poor games but I've done enough to win and that's the main thing."
Greaves' Players Championship victory was as dramatic as it was historic, as she hit a 142 checkout to beat 2023 world champion Smith 8-7. She said: "I can't believe it. I was up a fair few legs and I started to think about it. It caught up with me. I don't know whether I thought about being the first woman to do one. I can't believe I've hit that. I can't believe I took out that. I've had a great year, but I never thought I'd win one of these, never."
In the semi-finals, Greaves produced a superb display to knock out two-time world champion Anderson 7-1, having edged past Cross 6-5 in the last eight. She added: "I am so happy, I can't even describe how I feel. To have won on the Development Tour, Challenge Tour, PDC Women's Series, I am so proud of myself because I was struggling so bad at the start of the year, really bad. I can't believe it. I know I’ve got the ability and the talent, but I've beaten Gary Anderson and I couldn't believe it! Beating Michael, beating players that I watched growing up, it's amazing. I feel really proud of myself. Now I need to kick on and keep doing it."
Historic nine-darter
If that wasn't enough, Greaves has become the first woman to hit a nine-darter on the ProTour. The 22-year-old hit perfection in her Players Championship 6 clash with Mensur Suljovic in Leicester. She hit consecutive 180s and then finished by taking out 141, pinning a double 12. Greaves said: "I couldn’t believe I’d hit it! I just about hit the treble 19 and then I was quite confident that the double 12 was going in. I couldn’t stop smiling because I couldn't wait to tell my dad, even though I knew he'd be watching it. I've narrowly missed hitting one a few times, so it was nice to finally hit one. It's nice to be the first woman to hit one on the PDC ProTour. I'm glad it was on the stream as well. It was hard to get back into the game after I'd hit it. I was shaking afterwards. It was nerve-wracking but I managed to get the win in the end."
