Rising star Beau Greaves was agonisingly denied her first victory at the PDC World Darts Championship on Friday night, falling to a dramatic 3-2 defeat against seasoned campaigner Daryl Gurney.
A Nail-Biting Alexandra Palace Duel
The 21-year-old from Doncaster, making her second appearance on the iconic Ally Pally stage, pushed the 22nd seed all the way in a match where she actually won more legs. Greaves clinched 11 legs to Gurney's 10, but it was the Northern Irishman who claimed the crucial sets. Greaves showcased her phenomenal talent by firing in a stunning 10-dart leg to level the contest, but Gurney responded with the match's highest checkout, a magnificent 144, to break throw in the deciding set and seal the win.
Paying tribute to his opponent, Gurney told Sky Sports: "For me, she's the best woman dart player on the planet. If there's going to be a dart player that can win the World Championships or any majors, that's the player you want to look to." He added, "Everybody says that she was the favourite... but sometimes I showed my class, I showed my composure, and I got over the finish line."
Other Day Nine Action at Ally Pally
The evening session on December 19 also saw Ireland's William O'Connor produce a blistering performance, averaging 102.3 in a 3-0 whitewash of Poland's Krzysztof Kciuk. O'Connor, who defeated Greaves in her championship debut last year, now earns a second-round clash with three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
15th seed Nathan Aspinall progressed with a 3-1 victory over Filipino veteran Lourence Ilagan, finishing the match in style with a spectacular 170 checkout. The match provided a moment of levity when Ilagan was startled by a persistent wasp, prompting commentator Wayne Mardle to joke: "It's not a tiger, Lourence!"
Ireland's Keane Barry rounded off the night with a straightforward 3-0 win against Australian debutant Tim Pusey.
Afternoon Session Round-Up
Earlier in the day, Josh Rock overcame a minor scare to defeat Women's Series qualifier Gemma Hayter 3-1. Hayter fought back to take the third set and forced a deciding leg in the fourth before Rock sealed it with an 81 checkout.
American showman Lenny Gates battled through a 3-2 win over Mickey Mansell, while Ryan Meikle dispatched Argentina's Jesus Salate 3-0. Dutchman Kevin Doets came from a set down to beat Matthew Dennant 3-1.
In off-stage news, Johnny Clayton received a bye into the third round after his scheduled opponent, Dom Taylor, was disqualified. The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) suspended Taylor with immediate effect following an adverse analytical finding from a drug test conducted on December 14.
