<em>Beau Greaves has earned a statement victory by defeating the world champion, Luke Littler, in the PDC world youth championship semi-finals. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA</em>
The 2025 PDC World Youth Championship served up a thrilling upset when three-time Women's World Champion Beau Greaves defeated reigning PDC World Champion Luke "The Nuke" Littler 6-5 in a classic semi-final, just hours after Littler claimed the legendary World Grand Prix title.
Greaves' win not only reserved her place in the final of the Youth World Championship but was also a landmark moment for the sport of darts as it highlighted the phenomenal ability emerging from the ladies' game. Littler, averaging over 107, lost out in a deciding-leg masterclass, evidence of the fine margins that exist at the top.
Match Details and Historic Context
The meeting of the 2 generation stars was in Wigan at the early phases of the Youth World Championship knockout stage.
Outcome: Beau Greaves 6 - 5 Luke Littler
Structure: Best of 11 Legs (Knockout Stage)
Ramification: Greaves became the first female to defeat Littler in a major PDC tournament, reaching the Youth World Championship final against Gian van Veen.
Emotional Context: The game was just 24 hours after Littler's 6-1 win over Luke Humphries to take the World Grand Prix, and therefore, he entered the youth event as the new World Champion and latest major victor.
Men's Single: Luke Littler's Masterful Display Was Not Sufficient
Luke Littler's attack was one of high averages and powerful scoring, but he could not build the decisive lead against Greaves.
Littler's Average: Littler averaged a whopping 107.4 in the semi-final.
Pressure Miss: Littler was as close as a wire from completing a nine-darter in Leg 4.
Knockout Run: Littler's route consisted of a 6-1 thrashing of Jamai van den Herik in the quarterfinals, where he averaged incredible 160 and 164 checkouts.
Mental Stat: Littler had already won all 11 of his PDC major semi-finals, making this loss an exceptional shock.
The Road to the Semi-Finals (Luke Littler)
Littler's journey through the tournament's group and knockout stages was a testament to consistent elite-level finishing:
Dominance in the Group Stage: He finished the action with legs of 11 and 10 darts in his group stage win over Icelandic hope, averaging 108.59.
Knockout Resilience: Came back from being down 5-3 to beat rising star Charlie Manby in the Last 32, even though he had to survive a match.
Quarter-Final Masterclass: Also registered a commanding 3-2 victory over Gerwyn Price.
<em>Gerwyn Price (right) has twice been a World Grand Prix runner-up since winning the title in 2020</em>
Women's Single: Beau Greaves' Nerve of Steel
Beau Greaves delivered one of the finest performances of her career, showing immense nerve to resist Littler's scoring barrage.
Greaves' Average: Greaves equalled the scoring ratio of Littler, hitting a brilliant 105.0 in the semi-final.
Clutch Finish: Greaves kept her cool throughout the winning 11th leg, checking out on a winning 84 with Littler getting on 32. The clutch finish was hailed by commentators as an exhibition of coping with championship pressure.
PDC Success: 3-time WDF Women's World Champion Greaves has won a PDC Tour Card and is consistently dominating the Women's Series; with this win, her biggest competitive victory over a man.
Final Bound: Greaves is bound for the final to face Gian van Veen, who beat Littler to the crown in the 2024 final, in a second thunderous clash.
The Journey to the Semi-Finals (Beau Greaves)
Greaves' journey was a statement of intent; her dominance of the youth ranks being asserted:
Group Stage Mastery: Recorded a hat-trick of wins in the round-robin phase, among which was an American whitewash of Joseph Lynaugh.
Knockout Consistency: Recorded persuasive knockout wins, including a 6-2 win over former ProTour champion Danny Jansen.
Quarter-Final Win: Defeated J. M. Wilson, likely defeat to Beau Greaves 5-6 (est.) to advance to the Littler semi-final.
Conclusion: A Changing of the Guard in Youth Darts
The meeting of Greaves and Littler was more than a youth tournament semi-final; it was a snapshot of the future of darts. Littler's admiration of Greaves after the game highlighted the importance of the result.
Final Thoughts: Greaves' victory is a clear indication of the developing class of women's darts and a demonstration of her world-class ability for performing under pressure. Her ability to win a deciding leg from an opponent of Littler's current standard, despite his enormous scoring average, guarantees her a seat at the sport's top tables.
The Youth World Championship final between Beau Greaves and Gian van Veen promises to be an unmissable spectacle on November 23rd at Minehead.
