PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Beau Greaves loses to Daryl Gurney in deciding set of first round match

Beau Greaves failed to become just the second player to win a match at a PDC World Championship, losing in a first-round decider to 22nd seed Daryl Gurney at Alexandra Palace.

The 21-year-old from Doncaster was aiming to follow in the footsteps of Fallon Sherrock, who made history by winning two matches in the 2020 tournament.

The first four sets all went against the throw, with Gurney twice winning deciding legs to hit the lead before being hooked on the back.

Graves needed a total of just 37 darts to win three straight meetings in the second set, with a 128 on point to set up a 12-dart break, followed by a 10-dart to level the match by one set.

In the deciding set, Gurney hit a stunning 144 to move within one leg of victory and wrapped it up shortly after Greaves narrowly missed 148 to extend the match.

“For me, she’s the best darts player on the planet,” said Gurney, a two-time Grand Slam champion who won the World Cup with Northern Ireland last June.

“If there’s a darts player who can win a world championship or any major championship, that’s the player you want to look at,” he said on stage. “What a player he is.”

“Everyone said she was the favorite in the match, but I showed class and composure and reached the finish line.”