Beau Greaves etched her name into the darts history books on Friday night, becoming the first woman ever to win a match on the PDC European Tour. The 22-year-old defeated Daryl Gurney 6-4 in the opening round of the 2026 Czech Darts Open in Prague, a victory that sent shockwaves through the sport.
Greaves' historic triumph was a rollercoaster affair. Gurney surged 3-1 ahead after punishing a missed double 12 with a 144 checkout, but Greaves responded with four perfect darts to start the fifth leg before taking out 47 on double 16 for the break back. She levelled at 3-3, then opened the seventh leg with a 180 and checked 87 on double 18 to lead for the first time. After Gurney drew level, Greaves broke again with a 77 checkout for 5-4 and sealed the win one leg later, averaging 93.54 to Gurney's 89.54. Luke Humphries now awaits in Saturday's second round.
The night also saw Rob Cross crash out, beaten 6-4 by Keane Barry. The opening six legs went with throw before Barry produced the decisive break with a 114 checkout to lead 4-3. Barry missed match darts at double 20 and double 10, allowing Cross to pull one leg back, but the Irishman sealed the win with an 89.73 average. Luke Woodhouse delivered the session's standout performance, averaging 104.30 in a 6-4 win over Connor Scutt despite trailing 4-2. Scutt had taken out 126 on the bull and produced an 11-darter, but Woodhouse roared back with an 82 checkout, a 56 finish, and double 16 to win four straight legs.
Martin Schindler survived a tough test against Rob Owen, winning 6-4 despite Owen averaging 95.75 to Schindler's 89.50. Schindler broke immediately and added a two-dart 90 checkout for 2-0, then took out 68 on double two with his final dart to close it out. Dirk van Duijvenbode, however, never found his rhythm in a 6-2 defeat to Mario Vandenbogaerde, averaging just 77.51. The Dutchman took the opening leg but lost five in succession, and despite a 180 and a two-dart 76 checkout to reduce the deficit to 5-2, Vandenbogaerde closed out the win.
Damon Heta ended Karel Sedlacek's run with a 6-4 victory in front of the Czech crowd. Heta led 2-0 before Sedlacek hit back with finishes of 62, 72, and 96 to level at 3-3. Heta missed the bull for a 170 at 4-3, but after Sedlacek failed on 76, the Australian regained the lead and sealed the match with a 76 finish, averaging 94.56. Krzysztof Ratajski beat Adam Gawlas 6-2, ending the Czech qualifier's hopes despite a 116 checkout from Gawlas to level at 1-1. Ratajski pulled away and finished with an 86 checkout on the bull. In the final match, Jeffrey de Graaf defeated Niels Zonneveld 6-3 despite being outscored on averages (94.21 to 96.84), as Zonneveld repeatedly missed doubles. De Graaf moved 5-2 ahead, survived a brief fightback, and completed the win on double eight.
