Beau Greaves secured her third Women’s World Matchplay title at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, defeating Fallon Sherrock 6-5 in a last-leg decider.
The final was a battle of nerves that stretched to the absolute limit. Greaves appeared to be in control with a 5-3 lead, but Sherrock fought back to force a deciding leg. The pressure peaked when Sherrock hit a 180 in the decider, threatening a complete comeback. Greaves responded with a maximum of her own and a 145 set-up, eventually taking out 56 to seal the win.
Beau Greaves, via Sky Sports, said she is not usually one to celebrate but felt a great sense of relief after winning, noting that hitting the final dart was an outpouring of relief and that she was very happy to win.
Winter Gardens Path: Greaves and Sherrock’s Route to the Final
Greaves did not cruise through the tournament. While she breezed through her quarter-final, her semi-final against Gemma Hayter was a struggle that required another deciding leg. Greaves eventually secured her place in the final with a 104 checkout.
Sherrock entered the final with significant momentum, having dropped only one leg on her way to the trophy match. This included a dominant 5-1 victory in the semi-finals over defending champion Lisa Ashton. Despite the strong run, Sherrock has now fallen short in the final for three consecutive years, failing to capture her first Matchplay title since the event’s inception in 2022.
The 114-Match Streak and the Women’s Series
The Matchplay victory follows a period of nearly total dominance on the PDC Women’s Series circuit. Between April 2025 and March 2026, Greaves went unbeaten in 114 consecutive matches, capturing 17 successive titles. This run established her as the undisputed number one in the women’s game.
That historic streak eventually met its match in Wigan on March 21, 2026, at the Robin Park Leisure Centre. Fallon Sherrock ended the run with a 4-1 defeat in the second round of Event Five, averaging 102.12. However, Greaves demonstrated her resilience by bouncing back immediately to win Event Six on the same day, defeating Gemma Hayter 5-0 in the final with an average of 101.55.
| Player | Longest Winning Streak (PDC Women’s Series) |
|---|---|
| Beau Greaves | 114 |
| Beau Greaves | 70 |
| Beau Greaves | 41 |
| Fallon Sherrock | 29 |
| Lisa Ashton | 17 |
ProTour Breakthrough and the Men’s Game
Greaves is increasingly bridging the gap between women’s and men’s professional darts. In April, she became the first woman to win a PDC ranking title by defeating Michael Smith. She also made history in February by becoming the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish on the PDC ProTour during a match against Mensur Suljovic.
This transition to the ProTour has created a unique mental challenge for the 22-year-old. While she relishes the opportunity to play against the professionals she grew up watching, the shift in competition levels is stark.
Beau Greaves, via BBC, stated that she had previously realized that playing against women felt different for her now as she tries to concentrate on the men’s game, but acknowledged that returning to play in this tournament is difficult and she knew it would be a tough challenge.
The Stakes for the 2026/27 Season
The victory at the Winter Gardens serves as a psychological boost for Greaves, who described the win as being very beneficial for her future game after the disappointment of the previous year. Her dominance is reflected in the betting markets, where title sponsor Betfred listed her as the overwhelming favorite at 1/7 heading into the event.
The broader implications for the players now shift to the final PDC Women’s Series rankings.
- World Darts Championship: The top three players from the final PDC Women’s Series rankings will qualify for the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
- World Matchplay: The top eight players on the rolling 12-month rankings will qualify for the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay in July.
With her third title secured and her status as a ProTour history-maker cemented, Greaves remains the woman to beat as the circuit moves toward the championship qualifiers.
