Grand Slam of Darts: Beau Greaves feels as if she was ‘making the numbers up’ at Alexandra Palace

Raz Mirza

Interviews, Comment & Analysis @RazMirza

Teenage sensation Beau Greaves explains her reasons for wanting to defend her Lakeside crown rather than play at Ally Pally; Next up on the Sky Sports Darts calendar is the 17th staging of the Grand Slam of Darts from 11-19 November at the Aldersley Leisure Village

Beau Greaves won the Women’s World Matchplay and now she will make her debut at the Grand Slam of Darts this weekend

Beau Greaves felt as if she was “just making the numbers up” at the PDC World Darts Championship with the teenage sensation opting to play at Lakeside this year.

Greaves dropped only one set the entire tournament when claiming her first world title at the 2022 WDF tournament, producing a record average of 92.02 in beating Kirsty Hutchinson in the final.

The 19-year-old has also qualified to play in this year’s PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace by virtue of winning the Women’s World Matchplay in Blackpool this summer. But the two tournaments held in December clash and Greaves has opted to defend her title.

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Mark Webster believes that Greaves decision to play at Lakeside this December is a ‘gamble’

When I played at Ally Pally I felt as if I was just making the numbers up. I know I’m not because I earned my place there and I had every right to be there. I just feel comfortable playing the WDF and playing ladies’ darts, so I just found it out of my comfort zone. But the more I do it hopefully the better I’ll be.

Beau Greaves

“It was one of those because ever since I started playing darts I wanted to be a World Champion and I did that and now I want to go and defend it,” Greaves told Sky Sports.

“I just enjoy Lakeside a lot more and I felt as if I needed to be there as the defending champion. If I wasn’t then maybe I would have considered going to the PDC Worlds but it was literally what I wanted to play in so I ended up choosing Lakeside.”

The winner of the WDF Women’s World Championship claims £25,000, while Greaves would have to reach the third round at Ally Pally to match that haul.

“Money is money,” she said. “I think right now it’s one of them where I’m not desperate for money. I don’t need to chase it and think ‘where am I going to earn more’. I was just thinking about my darts and how I was going to feel.

“I could go to Lakeside, lose first round and get nowhere near what I would earn at Ally Pally. I’ve considered it all and on the Women’s Series I will hopefully get to Ally Pally next year, but then I could be in the same position every year if I do well. It’s all about weighing up my options at the time and making the choice really.”

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The best of the action from the Women’s World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool

The Doncaster teenager has previously stated she would rather play against her fellow female professionals rather than against her male counterparts, saying it’s something which doesn’t “appeal” to her, while Fallon Sherrock thrives on the pressure of playing the very best players in the game with her history-making exploits a prime example.

Greaves, nicknamed ‘Beau ‘n’ Arrow’, was a dominant winner of the PDC Women’s Series and also claimed the Women’s World Matchplay title in Blackpool earlier this year.

“I prefer playing ladies’ darts because playing the men all the time isn’t something that appeals to me but at the same time it’s where the money is, so I have to think in the long run what’s going to be better for me financially, but at the minute I get more enjoyment out of playing ladies’ darts,” she said.

“When I played at Ally Pally I felt as if I was just making the numbers up. I know I’m not because I earned my place there and I had every right to be there. I just feel comfortable playing the WDF and playing ladies’ darts so I just found it out of my comfort zone. But the more I do it, hopefully the better I’ll be.

“It’s just trying to get used to the surroundings and once you settle in, you settle in.”

“When I was younger I used to love playing against the men, obviously not at the same standard as the professionals but that’s all I ever used to play against.

“I got to a certain age where I played ladies’ darts constantly for years and then you get comfortable. I know Fallon prefers to play against the men but I just think it will take me a long time to just get used to it.

“She can raise her game against the men while at this minute, I can raise my game against the ladies while her standard drops a little bit. Hopefully I can start improving against the men and get some good results.”

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Speaking on Love The Darts, Greaves speaks about her experience at the World Championship and how she would do things differently next time

Schedule of Play

Saturday November 11
Afternoon Session (1300-1700 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups B-D-F-H First Matches
Damon Heta vs Ricardo Pietreczko (H)
Andrew Gilding vs Brendan Dolan (F)
Ryan Searle vs Gian van Veen (D)
Chris Dobey vs Josh Rock (B)
Danny Noppert vs Haruki Muramatsu (F)
Nathan Aspinall vs Beau Greaves (H)
Jonny Clayton vs Berry van Peer (B)
Gerwyn Price vs Nathan Rafferty (D)

Evening Session (1900-2300 GMT)
Group Stage x8 – Groups A-C-E-G First Matches
James Wade vs Krzysztof Ratajski (A)
Rob Cross vs Martijn Kleermaker (G)
Dave Chisnall vs Stephen Bunting (E)
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Gary Anderson (C)
Luke Humphries vs Steve Lennon (C)
Peter Wright vs Stowe Buntz (E)
Michael van Gerwen vs Fallon Sherrock (G)
Michael Smith vs Nathan Girvan (A)

Watch the seventeenth staging of the Grand Slam of Darts from 11-19 November at the Aldersley Leisure Village. Stream your favourite sports and more with NOW