Beau Greaves secured her third Women's World Matchplay title, overcoming Fallon Sherrock in a tightly contested 6-5 final. The match, held at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, saw Greaves, the top seed, pushed to the limit before clinching the victory in a decisive last leg.
Despite not being at her peak performance, Greaves managed to hold her nerve under pressure. After letting a 5-3 lead slip, she faced a challenging decider. Sherrock hit a 180 in the final leg, but Greaves responded with a maximum of her own, followed by a 145 setup, and then secured the win with a 56 checkout.
"I'm not one to celebrate but I just felt the relief after winning," Greaves stated after the match. "To hit that last dart was just an outpouring of relief. I am just so happy to win. I was nervous. That kind of pressure is a privilege - I am doing well and playing well. I didn't think I played my A-game, but just to win and get over it is such a massive thing. It is a terrific night."
Greaves, 22, had a challenging semi-final match against Gemma Hayter, which also went to a deciding leg. Greaves eventually won that match with a 104 checkout to advance to the final. In contrast, Sherrock had a more dominant run to the final, dropping only one leg and defeating defending champion Lisa Ashton 5-1 in her semi-final.
This victory marks Greaves' third Matchplay title in four years, though Sherrock has yet to win the championship since its inaugural tournament in 2022. For Greaves, this adds to a notable year, which included becoming the first woman to win a PDC ranking title by defeating Michael Smith in April and achieving the first nine-dart finish by a woman on the PDC ProTour in February against Mensur Suljovic.
"I knew before that playing women is just a little bit different for me now - I just try and concentrate on the men's game - but when I come back and play at this tournament it is hard and I knew it would be tough," Greaves commented on the difference in competition. "I didn't think I'd ease through it but after last year's disappointment, I am so chuffed to get the win. The relief is so good for my game going forward."