Beau Greaves will open her 2026 Women’s World Matchplay campaign against Kirsi Viinikainen after the Blackpool field and bracket were confirmed. The draw gives Greaves a repeat of last year’s quarter-final against the Finnish qualifier, with the fifth staging of the event set for Sunday, July 26.
The confirmed bracket also puts defending champion Lisa Ashton against Rhian O’Sullivan, Fallon Sherrock against Deta Hedman and Gemma Hayter against Vicky Pruim. It is a compact eight-player field, but there is enough pedigree in the draw to give the Winter Gardens another sharp women’s darts storyline.
Greaves gets immediate Blackpool pressure test
Greaves enters as top seed and remains the player most capable of bending the event around her scoring power. That brings expectation, especially after Sky Sports noted her huge Women’s Series run between April 2025 and March 2026, and it follows NineDartNews’ recent look at Beau Greaves’ PDC top-64 push.
Viinikainen will know exactly how difficult the task is, but the rematch gives the opening game an easy hook for viewers. Ashton, meanwhile, carries the pressure of a title defence from the other side of the bracket.
The full field, draw and prize details were confirmed in Sky Sports’ Women’s World Matchplay update, which also sets out the ranking order, format and increased top prize for the Blackpool showpiece.
