Beau Greaves secured a record-extending 24th PDC Women's Series title on Saturday, as Aileen de Graaf celebrated a landmark maiden win in Niedernhausen; darts is back on Sky Sports with the World Grand Prix at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from October 7-13
Saturday 10 August 2024 20:20, UK
Beau Greaves won a 24th PDC Women's Series title in Niedernhausen, Germany - but could not complete a clean sweep as Aileen de Graaf later collected her first event victory
Greaves, who recently lifted the Women's World Matchplay title in Blackpool, coasted through to the final of the Series 13 tournament on Saturday afternoon, where she beat Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-1.
The Doncaster star, though, came up short in the second Series 14 event when she was edged out 4-3 in the last 16 by De Graaf, who went on to defeat compatriot Anca Zijlstra 5-2 in an all-Netherlands final for her first series triumph.
Greaves, nicknamed 'Beau 'n' Arrow' recorded a trio of whitewash wins in advancing to the last eight, dispatching Fiona Roberts, Priscilla Steenbergen and Kelly Streef before sweeping aside Daniela Schug 5-2 in the quarter-finals.
She continued the procession with a 5-1 thrashing of Natalie Gilbert in the last four, before converting a stunning 148 checkout to wrap up victory over Van Leuven by the same scoreline.
Van Leuven also impressed in advancing to a third Women's Series final of 2024, averaging 90 and 92 in wins over Kim Holden and Aurora Fochesato.
The Dutch star then overturned a 4-2 deficit against Robyn Byrne in the last eight, and she reeled off four consecutive legs from 4-1 down to dump out De Graaf in the semi-finals.
However, De Graaf avenged that result on her way to a maiden PDC title in Event 14, which she sealed with a hard-fought 5-2 success against Anca Zijlstra.
De Graaf - a Women's World Matchplay runner-up in 2022 - had lost in all five of her previous Women's Series finals, but she finally broke that duck to become the seventh different winner on the circuit in 2024.
Following convincing wins over Sandy Wolf, Laura Patton and Tanja Klueners, De Graaf survived match darts in the last 16 to thwart Greaves' bid for back-to-back titles.
The 34-year-old then ran out a 5-2 winner against Van Leuven in the quarter-finals, before seeing off four-time Lakeside women's champion Lisa Ashton in a heavyweight semi-final showdown.
Zijlstra dumped out two-time Lakeside women's champion Mikuru Suzuki and former women's world No 1 Lorraine Winstanley in her run to the Event 14 decider, only to fall short against her compatriot.
2024 PDC Women's Series
Saturday August 10, H+ Hotel, Niedernhausen
Event 13
Quarter-Finals
Beau Greaves 5-2 Daniela Schug
Natalie Gilbert 5-4 Rhian O'Sullivan
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-4 Robyn Byrne
Aileen de Graaf 5-2 Laura Turner
Semi-Finals
Beau Greaves 5-1 Natalie Gilbert
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-4 Aileen de Graaf
Final
Beau Greaves 5-1 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Event 14
Quarter-Finals
Anca Zijlstra 5-1 Lorraine Hyde
Lorraine Winstanley 5-2 Aletta Wajer
Lisa Ashton 5-1 Neuza Araujo
Aileen de Graaf 5-2 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Semi-Finals
Anca Zijlstra 5-4 Lorraine Winstanley
Aileen de Graaf 5-2 Lisa Ashton
Final
Aileen de Graaf 5-2 Anca Zijlstra
The 2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix is next on the Sky Sports darting calendar.
The annual £600,000 tournament will take place at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from October 7-13, as 32 of the world's top stars compete for the coveted title which was won by Luke Humphries.
Humphries celebrated his maiden TV ranking title with victory over Gerwyn Price in last year's tournament, and the world No 1 will return to defend his title later this year.
Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen is also set to star, with teenage superstar Luke Littler poised to make his double-start debut in the East Midlands.
In a change to last year's format, Saturday's semi-finals on October 12 will be contested over the best of nine sets, with the final set to be played over the best of 11 sets on Sunday, October 13.
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