The 2024 Betfred Ladies’s Matchplay will get underway on Sunday, with Beau Greaves aiming to retain her title on an excellent afternoon at Blackpool Winter Gardens.
The third occasion of the £25,000 occasion shall be held on the Empress Ballroom and broadcast reside Sky Sports activities.
The eight-field discipline is made up of gamers from the 12-month PDC Ladies’s Medal of Honor collection, with 4 former Lakeside Ladies’s Champions competing within the elimination rounds.
Prime seed Greaves defeated Mikuru Suzuki on her debut on the Ladies’s Match Play 12 months in the past and the Doncaster darts will start her title battle with Eire’s Katie Sheldon.
Greaves is essentially the most profitable participant within the historical past of the PDC Ladies’s Collection, profitable a staggering 23 titles over the previous two years, together with a hat-trick in 2024.
The 20-year-old additionally turned the primary girl to win a Growth Tour title final month, with a string of performances underlining her standing as one of many sport’s most fun skills.
“I actually loved final yr and I am wanting ahead to getting again on that stage,” stated Greaves, who’s eyeing one other piece of Winter Backyard historical past.
“Successful the title on my debut was a really particular second, particularly with my household there and I believe it took some strain off me this yr.
“I believe I ought to have gained extra Ladies’s Collection titles this yr, however profitable on the Growth Tour was a giant second.
“I am very pleased with myself as a result of it isn’t simple to win these titles, so to win one so early in my profession is a big achievement and one to recollect.
“It ought to be a enjoyable day. It is an excellent lineup and hopefully we will all present what we will do.”
Fallon Sherrock wins the inaugural 2022 event, with the Milton Keynes trailblazer taking over three-time Lakeside ladies’s champion Anastasia Dobromyslo Child (Anastasia Dobromyslova).
Sherlock returns to the Winter Backyard because the No. 2 seed, having gained 4 straight titles late in 2023 earlier than profitable two of the yr’s first 4 matches to remain in noteworthy kind.
“I really feel such as you all the time have to enter each match with confidence,” stated Sherlock, who’s wanting ahead to a tricky check with debutant Dobromyslova, her first TV look in additional than 5 years. superior.
“I believe I am in actually fine condition. I’ve had some issues over the previous few months however they’re behind me now.
“I imagine the remainder of the yr will go very effectively, so why not begin by profitable the championship this weekend?
“I do know Anastasia hasn’t performed a lot on the large stage these days, however she has quite a lot of expertise, so you may by no means underestimate her.
“Ana nonetheless has her recreation. I am anticipating one of the best from her and I hope I can reply, nevertheless it ought to be a really thrilling recreation.”
Third seed Lisa Ashton, one in every of two gamers becoming a member of Sherlock within the Ladies’s Match Play Championship, may also headline this yr’s occasion, the place she is going to compete with Rhian Osha Rhian O’Sullivan competes for a spot within the semi-finals.
Ashton arrives on the Queen’s Ballroom in one of the best type of the ladies’s recreation after profitable back-to-back Ladies’s Collection titles in Video games 11 and 12 final month.
“I’ve all the time had nice help at Blackpool and it means loads to have the gang in your aspect,” stated the Bolton-born veteran.
“The Winter Backyard is a historic, iconic stage; the ambiance is nice and hopefully I can carry out in addition to I can.
“I’ve put an excessive amount of strain on myself right here previously few years, so this yr I am simply going to take pleasure in it and take it one recreation at a time.
“These younger males are completely ruthless however I’ll proceed to do my finest and hopefully I can add this recreation to my resume quickly!”
The semi-finals and ultimate will happen later within the afternoon, with the winner qualifying for the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts and the 2024/25 Paddy Energy World Darts Championship.
2024 Betfred Ladies’s World Match Play
Sunday, July 21
(1) Beau Greaves vs (8) Katie Shelton
(4) Mikuru Suzuki vs (5) Noah-Lynn van Leuven
(2) Fallon Sherlock vs (7) Anastasia Dobromyslova
(3) Lisa Ashton VS (6) Ryan O’Sullivan
Format
Quarterfinals – Better of seven rounds
Semifinals – Better of 9 rounds
Remaining – Better of 11 rounds
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