On a tight stage in Prague, Beau Greaves did something no woman had done before. She won a match on the PDC European Tour, a competition that had run for 15 years without a female victor.
Three legs in a row turn the night in Prague
The scene did not favour her at the start. Daryl Gurney moved 3-1 ahead after a 144 checkout, the same finish he had used to beat Greaves at Alexandra Palace late last year. She said she was nervous and slow to settle.
Then the match swung. Four perfect darts opened the fifth leg, and she took out 47 on double 16 to break back. She levelled at 3-3, then landed a 180 and an 87 finish to lead for the first time, winning three straight legs in 14, 13 and 11 darts.
Gurney drew level again at 4-4, but Greaves answered with a 77 checkout to break for 5-4 and closed out the 6-4 win one leg later. She averaged 93.54 to his 89.54.
Another first for the woman rewriting the record books
The victory joins a growing list of landmarks for the 22-year-old from Doncaster. In February she became the first woman to hit a nine-darter on the PDC Pro Tour, and she was the first to win a PDC ranking title, edging Michael Smith 8-7 at Players Championship 11. Last month she became the first woman to qualify for a European Tour event.
"It feels amazing," Greaves told reporters afterwards. "It's just so nice to win a game, I was so nervous at the start, I don't know why. It took me so long to get settled."
Next came world No. 2 Luke Humphries in the second round. Greaves faces him knowing the stage is no longer new to her.
