"She’s one of the best dart players on the planet, she deserves to be where she is now": Daryl Gurney lauds Beau Greaves, says favourite tag deserved

Daryl Gurney wasn’t exhausted after his first-round match at the 2026 World Darts Championship — but above all, he was relieved.

The Northern Irishman had just come through a genuine thriller against Beau Greaves, who once again showed why she is regarded as one of the sport’s outstanding talents. The margin between victory and defeat was razor-thin, and one moment proved decisive: a perfectly timed 144 checkout from Gurney when the pressure was at its peak.

“Not really exhausted, but relieved,” Gurney admitted afterwards. “Beau — what a dart player. I didn’t expect anything less whenever the draw came out. So yeah, relieved to get over the finish line.”

Statistically, there was barely anything between the two players. In fact, Greaves even won the match 11–10 in legs. Yet it was Gurney who progressed — and he was clear about where the turning point came. “The 144,” he said. “I know before that I missed a 146 and I missed a 148. But yeah, I was very glad that the 144 went in because I think Beau was on 52 or 51. So if that didn’t go, I feel like I was going to be 2–1 down, and then you’re thrown against the tide.”

It was a moment that summed up Gurney’s willingness to embrace pressure. “The 144 was class, and I’m glad I produced it at the right time.”

Perhaps the most striking element of Gurney’s assessment was the respect he showed his opponent — with no caveats or qualifiers. “The way I approached it was that I didn’t look at her as a woman dart player. I looked at her as a great dart player,” he said. “And I think everybody in this room can accept that she’s one of the best dart players on the planet. She deserves to be where she is now.”

Gurney believes Greaves’ breakthrough on the PDC circuit is inevitable. “For me, Beau will probably win PDC tournaments next year, whether it’s a ProTour or a European Tour,” he said. “I still believe she can win anything she enters. She’s so good.”

That belief made his own relief understandable. “It shows that I can grind and I can hang out there with some of the best.”

There is little time to reflect, however, with Callan Rydz next up in round two — a match-up Gurney expects to be even tougher. “For me, Callan has been one of the best dart players in the world over the last couple of years,” he said. “He’s going to be really difficult — big scorer, good finisher.”

Gurney even revealed he reached out beforehand. “I messaged him before he played to wish him luck because he’s one of the most talented dart players I’ve ever seen. He just needs to get things right between his ears.”

Almost all of the pre-match focus was on Greaves, but Gurney insisted it didn’t alter his routine. “It didn’t change my preparation. Whoever I’m playing, it’s always about the way I do it. I don’t practice with anybody — it’s about putting the hours in at home, getting yourself mentally ready.”

He did concede his performance wasn’t quite where he wanted it to be. “Tonight, I felt like I was slightly short of that. I felt more confident than how I played.”

Neither player could consistently hold throw, which kept the contest on a knife edge. "Whenever I went all the way, I didn’t even think about going against the throw. I just dug in and gave myself an opportunity — and that’s what I did.”

Greaves was appearing on the World Championship stage for only the second time, and Gurney felt experience played a part — though only marginally. “Sometimes experience helps,” he said. “But I just felt like I had so many more gears. I was practicing so well before the game, but Beau put me under huge pressure.”

That made the victory all the sweeter. “Whenever it went all the way, I just thought, ‘This is it. Give it your all.’ Hopefully, if you get a shot at a double, you ping it and get your nose in front.”

Asked if it ranked among his toughest matches at Alexandra Palace, Gurney was unequivocal. “Yeah, 100%. But the crowd were so respectful. I’d like to thank them for that.”

Although much of the crowd backed Greaves, Gurney thrives in that environment. “If you want someone against the crowd and against the player, put your money on me,” he said. “I welcome it. It makes me mentally stronger.”

Still, he remained self-critical. “I don’t feel like I’m that good — I feel like I’m really consistent,” he admitted. “And that annoys me, because I feel like I’ve got so much more to give.”

Ranked around 22 in the world, Gurney believes his best darts are still to come. “I haven’t produced my best yet. I need to get my equipment right, get my throw right, and then I feel like I could be there or thereabouts.”

After the match, Gurney shared a warm embrace with Greaves. “I just said, ‘Thanks for giving me more grey hair,’” he smiled. “But I also told her she’ll be a handful next year and that she’ll win tournaments.”

His final verdict was emphatic. "After a full year on the ProTour, she’ll be even better — and that’s the scary part.”