Rob Cross believes Beau Greaves is destined for greatness on the biggest PDC stages after surviving a remarkable 6-5 battle with the 22-year-old on her historic European Tour debut at the 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy. Greaves became the first woman ever to compete on the European Tour in Budapest, and she came agonisingly close to marking the occasion with victory over the 2018 world champion. She averaged 104.88, hit five 180s, and moved 5-4 ahead before Cross claimed the final two legs to escape with a deciding-leg win.
Cross averaged 101.90 himself, but much of his reaction afterwards centred on the level Greaves had produced against him. “I've got a lot of time for Beau,” he said. “She's brilliant. Do you know, all game she hits tons. I hit 60s, I hit 45s, she still hits tons.” Greaves had chances to complete the upset late on, including an opportunity from 70 in the deciding leg before Cross eventually closed out the match. “At the end there I got away with it a bit in the last leg,” Cross admitted. “Maybe she missed a couple of big numbers, just from the crowd reaction. I don't look. But look, she's going places.”
Greaves has dominated much of the Women's Series and women's game already, but appearances against established PDC opposition on stages such as Budapest remain much less familiar territory. Cross expects repeated exposure to that environment to push her level higher still. “I think when she learns her trade — and on the floor she's been phenomenal this year, she's been great in the Women's Series — the more times you put her up here, she's going to average more, she's going to do more and she's going places.” Cross also had praise for the Budapest crowd after finally getting himself over the line. “What I would say is the crowd was fantastic tonight. I appreciate that and, yeah, just glad to get through.”
Cross's own 101.90 average came despite an unusually light period of preparation. The former world champion admitted he had barely practised during August before returning to the board ahead of the most recent Players Championship events. “Yeah, of course. I think August has probably been the laziest I've ever been,” he admitted. “I've not really picked a dart up. Before the ProTours last week, I spent three days having a little practice for them. I played some good stuff there and then I hurt my arm, so I withdrew from the last one.”
Cross has also changed part of his setup, moving to intermediate stems in an adjustment he believes is already helping his game. “But at the same time, I've probably changed to intermediate stems now and I think it's making a massive difference to my game. I actually feel really happy with them. I think I can do great things, but look, it's down to me to prove it.” The immediate evidence was encouraging: Cross came through one of the highest-quality matches of the Hungarian Darts Trophy opening day and will return on Saturday to face Luke Woodhouse for a place in the last 16.
