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Daryl Gurney, the 22nd seed, lost in a deciding set at Alexandra Palace in the first round, just short of becoming the second woman player to win a match at the PDC World Championship.

The Doncaster-born 21-year-old was hoping to emulate Fallon Sherrock, who won two matches at the 2020 tournament and made history.

The first four sets were played against the throw, with Gurney twice winning the set before being pegged back with the final leg.

In the second set, Greaves needed just 37 darts to win three straight sets, with a 128 checkout on the bullseye sealing a 12-dart throwback and a 10-darter to bring the match level at one set.

Gurney made it one more leg of victory by scoring a stunning 144 checkout in the decider shortly after Greaves had only a few inches to extend the game’s lead to a close second.

She is the best female darts player on earth, according to Gurney, a two-time major champion and Northern Ireland World Cup winner in June.

He stated on stage that if a darts player could win the World Championship or any major, they should be that person. What a player.

Greaves’ participation in the World Championships, which came to an end in 2025, was high on the adage.

She won the Women’s Series title, helped by her 86-game winning streak at the end of the campaign, made it to the World Youth Championship final, and received a PDC tour card for the following year as a result of her performances on the Development Tour.

Gurney, 39, continued, “She’s going to be a force to be reckoned with next year.” She will be successful in PDC competitions.

In her only previous appearance at the World Championship in December 2022, Greaves fell to William O’Connor with a 3:0 loss. In each of the following two years, she turned down invitations and instead chose to compete in the WDF Women’s World Championship, which she won both times.

Nathan Aspinall, the former World Matchplay champion, rallied to win 3-1 and seal victory with a 170 checkout after dropping the first set in his match against Lourence Ilagan of the Philippines.

Leonard Gates, who defeated Mickey Mansell 3-2 earlier in the day, will face English 15th seed Aspinall in round two.

Josh Rock of Northern Ireland opened his campaign with a 3-1 victory over Gemma Hayter of England.

Rock, 24, is the tournament’s 11th seed, has qualified for the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, World Series Finals, and UK Open this year, and has won the World Cup alongside Gurney, making him one of the favorites to win the world title.

Hayter pulled a set back after falling 2-0 behind after Rock’s poor finishing in the third set, which included only one of his 11 doubles attempts.

As the match progressed, her level increased, and she ended up in the final set with a set of 81 to win. In round two, Rock will face Australian Joe Comito.

As a nine-day first-round match-up came to an end, Kevin Doets, Ryan Meikle, and Keane Barry were the other winners.

From 12: 30 GMT:

From 19: 00 GMT:

Aviva Stadium for the United Rugby Championship

Leinster 24 (7)

Trys: Byrne, Prendergast, Lowe, Lowe, Lowe, Sheehan

Ulster 20 (17)

In the first of the festive interprovincial derbies in the United Rugby Championship, champions Leinster defeated Ulster by overcoming a 10-point half-time deficit at Aviva Stadium.

Leo Cullen’s side used a strong bench to fend off their eager fans in Dublin, who were once more at their best.

Richie Murphy’s side had a lead after Werner Kok scored twice, and Tom Stewart scored a try, but Leinster’s bench was stretched to the point where their superiority was revealed in the second half.

With five minutes left, replacement hooker Dan Sheehan scored the winning try from a maul, Joshua Kenny and James Lowe, who had brought the hosts back into contact.

Ulster exploited Leinster’s lack of discipline to work the opening score.

A precise cross-field kick from Jack Murphy, who was playing at the time with penalty advantage after a Leinster offside, was drilled over Ciaran Frawley’s head with Kok on hand to capitalize on the fortuitous bounce and score.

Robert Baloucoune appeared to have doubled the lead right away, but a loose Sam Prendergast pass made it easy for the covering Lowe to catch his kick.

Rieko Ioane, who made his first URC appearance with a score, instead gave Leinster the lead 14 minutes before half-time.

After the hosts’ eliciting a spell of genuine patience, Prendergast accidentally threw a miss-pass that the All Black awkwardly juggled before gathering and heading over the line.

Before half-time, Leinster were pressing to increase their lead, but Nathan Doak hacked an offload that Harry Tector compelled into opposition territory. Kok is the one who capitalizes and scores once more.

Ulster’s quick defense was successful despite conceding six penalties in the opening period.

Leinster finally reached the outside with a penalty 15 minutes after the restart, and Kenny scored in the corner.

The arrival of Paddy McCarthy, Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, and Joe McCarthy was a major boost to the Leinster bench’s momentum.

However, James Ryan received a yellow card for a dangerous clearance, which appeared to have stopped Leinster’s progress.

With just a quarter of an hour left, Leinster would win the sin-bin with 14 men thanks to Lowe’s try. However, a Doak penalty gave the penalty.

Referee Andrew Brace ruled that David McCann’s knock-on was deliberate, and Ulster were given a yellow card for it while still holding on to a three-point lead.

The visitors would lose the game if the back row’s transgression occurred in the 71st minute and was too difficult to hold on to win.

The pressure finally came to an end when Sheehan and his fellow forwards drove over the line for the winning try with a penalty knocked into the corner after five minutes of Ulster’s disdiscipline.

Andrew, Crean, Wilson, Hopes, Ward, McKee, Flannery, and McIlroy were the replacements.

McCann receives a yellow card.

Leinster: Frawley, Kenny, Ioane, Tector, Lowe, Prendergast, McGrath, Boyle, G McCarthy, Slimani, Deeny, Ryan, Soroka, Penny, Conan (capt.).

Sheehan, P. McCarthy, Furlong, J. McCarthy, Deegan, Gunne, Byrne, Moloney, and replacements.

Ryan receives a yellow card

Aviva Stadium for the United Rugby Championship

Leinster 24 (7)

Trys: Byrne, Prendergast, Lowe, Lowe, Lowe, Sheehan

Ulster 20 (17)

In the first of the festive interprovincial derbies in the United Rugby Championship, champions Leinster defeated Ulster by overcoming a 10-point half-time deficit at Aviva Stadium.

Leo Cullen’s side used a strong bench to fend off their eager fans in Dublin, who were once more at their best.

Richie Murphy’s side had a lead after Werner Kok scored twice, and Tom Stewart scored a try, but Leinster’s bench was stretched to the point where their superiority was revealed in the second half.

With five minutes left, replacement hooker Dan Sheehan scored the winning try from a maul, Joshua Kenny and James Lowe, who had brought the hosts back into contact.

Ulster exploited Leinster’s lack of discipline to work the opening score.

A precise cross-field kick from Jack Murphy, who was playing at the time with penalty advantage after a Leinster offside, was drilled over Ciaran Frawley’s head with Kok on hand to capitalize on the fortuitous bounce and score.

Robert Baloucoune appeared to have doubled the lead right away, but a loose Sam Prendergast pass made it easy for the covering Lowe to catch his kick.

Rieko Ioane, who made his first URC appearance with a score, instead gave Leinster the lead 14 minutes before half-time.

After the hosts’ eliciting a spell of genuine patience, Prendergast accidentally threw a miss-pass that the All Black awkwardly juggled before gathering and heading over the line.

Before half-time, Leinster were pressing to increase their lead, but Nathan Doak hacked an offload that Harry Tector compelled into opposition territory. Kok is the one who capitalizes and scores once more.

Ulster’s quick defense was successful despite conceding six penalties in the opening period.

Leinster finally reached the outside with a penalty 15 minutes after the restart, and Kenny scored in the corner.

The arrival of Paddy McCarthy, Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, and Joe McCarthy was a major boost to the Leinster bench’s momentum.

However, James Ryan received a yellow card for a dangerous clearance, which appeared to have stopped Leinster’s progress.

With just a quarter of an hour left, Leinster would win the sin-bin with 14 men thanks to Lowe’s try. However, a Doak penalty gave the penalty.

Referee Andrew Brace ruled that David McCann’s knock-on was deliberate, and Ulster were given a yellow card for it while still holding on to a three-point lead.

The visitors would lose the game if the back row’s transgression occurred in the 71st minute and was too difficult to hold on to win.

The pressure finally came to an end when Sheehan and his fellow forwards drove over the line for the winning try with a penalty knocked into the corner after five minutes of Ulster’s disdiscipline.

Andrew, Crean, Wilson, Hopes, Ward, McKee, Flannery, and McIlroy were the replacements.

McCann receives a yellow card.

Leinster: Frawley, Kenny, Ioane, Tector, Lowe, Prendergast, McGrath, Boyle, G McCarthy, Slimani, Deeny, Ryan, Soroka, Penny, Conan (capt.).

Sheehan, P. McCarthy, Furlong, J. McCarthy, Deegan, Gunne, Byrne, Moloney, and replacements.

Ryan receives a yellow card

Under-fire Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi has stepped down from his role.

The 48-year-old leaves after almost 10 years at Molineux, with the club winless and bottom of the Premier League on just two points.

He will remain chairman and chief executive of Fosun Sports Group but will have no operational duties with Wolves.

He will be replaced for an interim period by Nathan Shi – no relation to Jeff Shi – who has been working for owners Fosun since 2016.

Jeff Shi said: “I took the keys to this chair with humility. Today, I step aside with a heart full of gratitude. It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside our leadership team, players, coaches, staff and – above all – our fans.

“Together, we have transformed the club into a global force, battling at the highest level.

“I would like to thank Fosun and the board for their trust, and every supporter for making Molineux shine. My seat may change, but my heart will still roar for this club every single game. I give my full support to the new management team and wish them every success in driving Wolves to even greater heights.”

Outgoing executive chairman Shi had been a target for unhappy Wolves fans, with critics viewing him as overseeing a managed decline of the club under Fosun.

He had been a target of supporters’ anger for months, with long-term frustrations now boiling over as Wolves – 14 points from 17th place – stare at a return to the Championship.

Wolves host Brentford on Saturday and will be looking to avoid equalling the Premier League’s worst opening winless run.

If they fail to beat the Bees at Molineux they will match the longest winless start to a Premier League season of 17 games – set by Sheffield United in 2020-21.

Under the departing Shi, Wolves won promotion from the Championship in 2018 with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge of the team before having two successive seventh-placed finishes in the top flight.

They also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2020 and an FA Cup semi-final in 2019.

Speaking last week, Jeff Shi said he understood fans’ frustrations, with several thousand boycotting the opening 15 minutes of the 4-1 defeat by Manchester United on 8 December.

“It’s a very natural feeling from the fans,” he said. “Five or six years ago we were at some heights, the semi-final of the FA Cup and quarter-final in Europe.

“When you have reached those heights, fans don’t want to let it go. I feel it myself. When you lose something like that it’s a tough blow – for this I have empathy.

“I’m not only a fan, I’m the CEO and chairman in the club. I have to think about how to judge the last decade in a more factual way and think about the next 10 years.”

Shi spoke to BBC WM last week, alongside technical director Matt Jackson, and the pair suggested Wolves got their transfer business wrong in the summer.

“Maybe we sold too many players in one window,” Jeff Shi said. “You can see the squad and compare it to last season, maybe we changed 40 or 50% of the key players.

Jeff Shi’s departure will appease the Wolves fans who have been calling for his sacking and blamed him for a lot of the club’s problems.

It will be intriguing to see on Saturday if the news will have an effect on the Molineux atmosphere, which has been been one of division, with protests, abuse towards Shi and chants for Fosun to sell.

Yet, the accusation which some may level at the club is they have just swapped one Fosun staff member for another and not opened the role up externally – even if Nathan Shi is, so far, an interim replacement.