PREVIEW 2024 WDF Lakeside Women's World Championship: Can Beau Greaves go three in a row?

It's that time of year again as the 2024 WDF Lakeside Women's World Championship is upon us between November 29 - December 8 at the World Famous Country Club in Frimley Green. Beau Greaves will go for three in a row and our preview looks ahead at her chances and others of stopping her.

As well as Greaves, there is a supporting cast of top names involved including Lisa Ashton, Deta Hedman, Kirsty Hutchinson, Rhian O'Sullivan and Aileen de Graaf.

Snubbing Ally Pally once again in a pretty interesting move always due to the fact that it is often the other way round with the men's draw at Lakeside pillaged due to many of the names involved qualifying for both.

But Greaves has stayed loyal to the WDF and admitted herself that she isn't huge on playing the men. There will likely become a point when 'Beau N Arrow' decides to step away from WDF and either play Ally Pally or the full PDC Tour. But like everything else thus far in her career, it is very much on her terms with no pressure put on to shift over despite outside voices perhaps saying otherwise.

After achieving her dream in 2022, she has a chance to become three-time champion and whilst there are some good names involved, others have also withdrawn. Namely Fallon Sherrock and Noa-Lynn van Leuven. Both of whom qualified for Lakeside but snubbed invites to play in the PDC version.

Albeit in Sherrock's case, she has a former World finalist as a replacement in Kirsty Hutchinson who lost two years ago during the first edition of the tournament held under the WDF banner. Unlike the men's tournament too both winner and finalist return as Greaves defeated Aileen de Graaf last year.

With limited spots on offer for Ally Pally, it has enabled the likes of De Graaf and even Lisa Ashton to play Lakeside as well as commit to the Women's Series and other such tournaments in the PDC. Rhian O'Sullivan sits as De Graaf's major threat in her side of the draw. The seeds enter into the second round and face the winners of the opening round.

For instance Greaves faces either Amanda Loch or Kirsi Viinikainen. Desi Mercer or potentially the unseeded Anca Ziljstra likely await her in the Quarter-Finals. Deta Hedman is the seed also in her section but given her pretty poor record at Lakeside relative to her incredible career, it is an opportunity.

Nicole Regnaud made a big impression last year on debut losing to Aileen de Graaf in an epic contest in the Last 16. The Kiwi known as 'The Renegade' continues to clean up in tournaments back home and comes in as perhaps an outside name to reach the latter stages.

As does the first round in Hedman's section with Hutchinson or Veronika Ihasz who has shown her quality on the Lakeside stage before awaiting the legend. The Hungarian hit the highest outshot in history against Beau Greaves for a female player in the World Championship of 164 before losing to Greaves and lost to Lorraine Winstanley last year.

De Graaf could face Lorraine Hyde or Mayumi Ouchi in the second round in the section below while a former semi-finalist returns in Irina Armstrong. Previously the Russian born German played in the first and only PDC edition in 2010 and last played in the BDO back in 2015. But she has won multiple tournaments in the past two years to qualify again. She lost to Beau Greaves at the recent World Masters in the semi-finals and is seventh seed.

She faces either five-time World Champion, Lisa Ashton who lost last year to De Graaf and could play her again or rising Scot, Sophie McKinlay.

Perhaps Rhian O'Sullivan though has the best route. The other seed in her part of the draw is Aletta Wajer with the Dutchwoman facing either Paula Murphy or Paula Jacklin. The former faces Lerena Rietbergen or Maud Jansson and while it starts simple, it gets tougher likely later on. But it will likely be that the Welshwoman has too much quality and surges through the rounds.

First round - best of 3 sets

Last 16 - best of 3 sets

Quarter-Finals - best of 3 sets

Semi-Finals - best of 5 sets

Final - best of 7 sets

In the ladies, a sum of £25,000 awaits the world champion. That amount also corresponds to the winner's cheque in 2023. The runner-up holds only 8,000 pounds, instead of 10,000 last year. The women's field consists of a total of 24 players. The players starting in the first round are guaranteed £750 in prize money.

A bone of contention as it has been cut from its previous amount albeit with some top names in particular in the women's draw.

7pm

Men’s R1 - Brian Raman (BEL) v Corne Groeneveld (NED)

Men’s R1 - Scott Walters (ENG) v Craig Brown (NZL)

Men’s R1 - Francois Schweyen (BEL) v Michael Cassar (AUS)

Men’s R1 - Carl Wilkinson (ENG) v Jacob Taylor (CAN)

1pm

Men’s R1 - Jordan Brooks (ENG) v Jun Matsuda (JPN)

Women’s R1 - Anca Zijlstra (NED) v Jitka Cisarova (CZE)

Men’s R1 - Mark Barilli (SCO) v Shane McGuirk (IRE)

Women’s R1 - Wendy Harper (NZL) v Greta Tekauer (HUN)

Men’s R1 - Patrik Kovacs (HUN) v Bjorn Lejon (SWE)

7pm

Men’s R1 - Matthew Edgar (ENG) v Jarno Bottenberg (NED)

Women’s R1 - Amanda Loch (AUS) v Kirsi Viinikainen (FIN)

Men’s R2 - #1 Danny Porter (AUS) v Schweyen/Cassar

Women’s R1 - Kirsty Hutchinson (ENG) v Veronika Ihasz (HUN)

Men’s R2 - #16 Martyn Turner (ENG) v Raman/Groeneveld                

1pm

Men’s R1 - Sybren Gijbels (BEL) v Kevin Luke (USA)

Women’s R1 - Lorraine Hyde (SCO) v Mayumi Ouchi (JPN)

Men’s R1 - James Beeton (ENG) v Bradley Kirk (ENG)

Women’s R1 - Paula Murphy (USA) v Paula Jacklin (ENG)

Men’s R2 - #13 Edwin Torbjornsson (SWE) v Barilli/McGuirk             

7pm

Men’s R1 - Aaron Turner (ENG) v Jeff Springer Jr (USA)

Women’s R1 - Lisa Ashton (ENG) v Sophie McKinlay (SCO)

Men’s R2 - #12 Cliff Prior (ENG) v Walters/Brown

Women’s R2 - #5 Nicole Regnaud (NZL) v Harper/Tekauer

Men’s R1 - Mike Gillet (WAL) v Ky Smith (AUS)                          

1pm

Men’s R1 - Dennis Nilsson (SWE) v Howard Jones (AUS)

Women’s R1 - Lerena Rietbergen (NED) v Maud Jansson (SWE)

Men’s R1 - Laszlo Kadar (ROM) v Hannes Schnier (AUT)

Men’s R1 - Darren Johnson (ENG) v Reece Colley (ENG)

7pm

Men’s R1 - Moreno Blom (NED) v Paul Lim (SGP)

Women’s R2 - #4 Deta Hedman (ENG) v Hutchinson/Ihasz

Men’s R2 - #4 Brandon Weening (AUS) v Brooks/Matsuda

Men’s R2 - #5 Peter Machin (AUS) v Gillet/Smith                     

1pm

Men’s R2 - #8 Benjamin Pratnemer (SLO) v Wilkinson/Taylor

Women’s R2 - #8 Desi Mercer (NZL) v Zijlstra/Cisarova

Men’s R2 - #9 Thomas Junghans (SWI) v Beeton/Kirk

Men’s R2 - #15 Ryan Hogarth (SCO) v Edgar/Bottenberg

7pm

Men’s R2 - #2 Jimmy van Schie (NED) v Kovacs/Lejon

Women’s R2 - #1 Beau Greaves (ENG) v Loch/Viinikainen

Men’s R2 - #7 Kai-Fan Leung (HKG) v Blom/Lim

Men’s R2 - #3 Neil Duff (NIR) v Johnson/Colley

1pm

Men’s R2 - #14 Barry Copeland (NIR) v Turner/Springer Jr

Women’s R2 - #6 Aletta Wajer (NED) v Murphy/Jacklin

Men’s R2 - #6 Liam Maendl-Lawrance (GER) v Gijbels/Luke

Men’s R2 - #11 Jason Brandon (USA) v Kadar/Schnier

7pm

Men’s R2 - #10 Gary Stone (SCO) v Nilsson/Jones

Women’s R2 - #3 Rhian O’Sullivan (WAL) v Rietbergen/Jansson

Men’s R3 - Porter/Schweyen/Cassar v M Turner/Raman/Groeneveld

Men’s R3 - Weening/Brooks/Matsuda v Torbjornsson/Barilli/McGuirk                    

1pm

Men’s R3 - Pratnemer/Wilkinson/Taylor v Junghans/Beeton/Kirk

Boys QF - #3 Ralfs Laumanis (LAT) v Lex Paeshuyse (BEL)

Men’s R3 - Machin/Gillet/Smith v Prior/Walters/Brown

Women’s R2 - #2 Aileen de Graaf (NED) v Hyde/Ouchi

Men’s R3 - Maendl-Lawrance/Gijbels/Luke v Brandon/Kadar/Schnier

7pm

Men’s R3 - Duff/Johnson/Colley v Copeland/Turner/Springer Jr

Boys QF - #2 Kendji Steinbach (NED) v Archie Self (ENG)

Men’s R3 - Van Schie/Kovacs/Lejon v Hogarth/Edgar/Bottenberg

Women’s R2 - #7 Irina Armstrong (GER) v Ashton/McKinlay

Men’s R3 - Leung/Blom/Lim v Stone/Nilsson/Jones    

Friday 6th December                      

1pm

Boys’ QF - #4 Balazs Szotak (HUN) v Florian Preis (GER)

Women’s QF - TBC

Men’s QF - TBC

Women’s QF - TBC

Men’s QF - TBC

7pm

Boys’ QF - #1 Jenson Walker (ENG) v Mason Teese (ENG)

Women’s QF - TBC

Men’s QF - TBC

Women’s QF - TBC

Men’s QF - TBC                    

2pm (Order TBC)

Girls’ SF - #1 Paige Pauling (ENG) v Jentl Fransen (BEL)

Boys’ SF - Steinbach/Self v Laumanis/Paeshuyse

Women’s SF

Men’s SF

7pm (Order TBC)

Girls’ SF - #2 Sophie McKinlay (SCO) v Aurora Fochesato (ITA)

Boys’ SF - Walker/Teese v Szotak/Preis

Women’s SF

Men’s SF

Sunday 8th December                    

5pm

Girls’ Final

Boys’ Final

Women’s Final

Men’s Final