Noa-Lynn van Leuven and Beau Greaves shared victories on Saturday as the year’s second PDC Women’s Series weekend began in Wigan.
Dutch ace Van Leuven followed up a maiden Women’s Series title of last month with another triumph and took the top prize in Event Five with a stunning fightback in the final.
Van Leuven went 4-0 down to Greaves as the 2023 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay champion made a superb start to the contest, which included back-to-back 13-darters.
Unusally Greaves was unable to close out victory in the next, as Van Leuven began an impressive fightback and then posted a 12-darter and two further legs to force a decider.
Van Leuven was first to a finish in leg nine, and posted double 16 to scoop the title as both players averaged over 90.
Van Leuven, also a Challenge Tour event winner last month, also averaged over 90 in three out of six wins in Event Five.
The Dutch thrower included whitewashes of Eirann van Wijgerden and Natalie Gilbert and also defeated Stacey Ellis, Katie Sheldon, Leanne Topper and Rhian O’Sullivan during her run to the final.
“It’s a great feeling but it’s been tough,” said Van Leuven. “I know what I’m capable of but I still have to do it. [This win] is going to be massive.”
Reflecting on the final, Noa Lynn added: “[At 4-0 down] I was missing so many doubles, so many opportunities and when I started hitting those opportunities I thought that maybe it’s not done yet – and it wasn’t!”
Greaves bounced back in style to win Event Six later on Saturday, picking up her first PDC Women’s Series win in 11 events since her last victory in September.
Having defeated Lisa Ashton in the Event Five semi-finals, she completed a daily double over the decorated Bolton star with a 5-1 win in the Event Six decider.
Ashton had taken the final’s opening leg with a 14-darter, but was unable to capitalise on that start as Greaves reeled off five straight legs to claim the win.
Greaves also gained some revenge over Van Leuven for her earlier defeat, whitewashing the Event Five winner 5-0 in the semi-finals.
Greaves also defeated Mikuru Suzuki in the quarter-finals, and saw off O’Sullivan, Chelsea Campbell, Eleanor Cairns and Jacqueline Maiden during the event.
“I’m so happy,” admitted Greaves. “I’m so relieved to get that win over the line and recover from earlier on.
“To be honest, I wanted to lob my darts in the bin after that final – that was a hard one to take! I’m happy to keep going and keep positive and I’m so grateful to be the winner.
“I’ve had a long time not winning and just being unlucky or just playing bad. Sometimes it happens; you go through periods of your career where you’re up and down and I’ve had my little spell now.
“I felt great today, I’ve been unlucky in patches but I’m so happy to keep plodding on and not lose hope that at some point I would win one back.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting a century to win one of these again! It still means just as much as the first one I won. I can’t wait to get back tomorrow.”
Greaves had dominated the 2023 PDC Women’s Series with 12 events wins, and has now set her sights on retaining the Women’s World Matchplay title in Blackpool.
“I think that’s probably where I’ve slacked off a bit – I’ve not really given myself any targets and maybe I should have done to keep that momentum going, and I’ve paid the price for it,” added Greaves.
“I think all eyes are on Blackpool now for the [Women’s] World Matchplay. I know I won it last year but I’d like to obviously win that again.”
Ashton’s run to the final was her best finish of the year as she continued her bright start to the weekend, while Hampshire’s Gemma Hayter reached her second semi-final of 2024 as she averaged 97 in a quarter-final win over Fallon Sherrock.
The PDC Women’s Series weekend concludes on Sunday with another double-header in Wigan, featuring Events Seven and Eight. Streaming coverage will be available on PDCTV from approximately 1000 BST.
The top eight players on the PDC Women’s Series Order of Merit after Event 12 will qualify for the 2024 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay, which takes place at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on Sunday July 21.
The top two players from the final Order of Merit will also qualify to compete in the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship, alongside the winner of the 2024 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay.
2024 PDC Women’s Series
Saturday April 20
Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan
Event Five
Quarter-Finals
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-3 Leanne Topper
Rhian O’Sullivan 5-2 Lorraine Winstanley
Beau Greaves 5-0 Maria O’Brien
Lisa Ashton 5-2 Fallon Sherrock
Semi-Finals
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-1 Rhian O’Sullivan
Beau Greaves 5-3 Lisa Ashton
Final
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-4 Beau Greaves
Event Six
Quarter-Finals
Gemma Hayter 5-1 Fallon Sherrock
Lisa Ashton 5-3 Aileen de Graaf
Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-4 Robyn Byrne
Beau Greaves 5-3 Mikuru Suzuki
Semi-Finals
Lisa Ashton 5-2 Gemma Hayter
Beau Greaves 5-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Final
Beau Greaves 5-1 Lisa Ashton
—–ENDS—–
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