Beau Greaves will arrive at Blackpool as the clear statistical marker in the 2026 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay draw, but Lisa Ashton’s title defence has given the bracket a sharper edge than the seedings alone suggest.
The PDC has confirmed Greaves as top seed on £45,700 in the Women’s World Matchplay rankings, ahead of Ashton on £15,550 and Fallon Sherrock on £13,150. The event will be staged at the Winter Gardens on Sunday, July 26, with the winner earning £15,000 and places at the Grand Slam of Darts and World Championship.
Greaves Gets Familiar Blackpool Opener
Greaves starts against Kirsi Viinikainen, a repeat of last year’s quarter-final. The wider draw sends Gemma Hayter against Vicky Pruim, Ashton against Rhian O’Sullivan and Sherrock against Deta Hedman.
That gives the tournament a clean narrative split: Greaves carries the ranking authority, Ashton owns the trophy, and Sherrock remains the ever-present Blackpool threat. PDC’s confirmed draw also underlines the increased £40,000 prize fund.
For Greaves, the key number is not only her top-seed total. Live darts rankings also list her inside the wider provisional World Matchplay race picture, a reminder that her 2026 season is no longer limited to women’s-only framing.
NineDartNews has already tracked the Sherrock-Ashton pressure point. Greaves now gives Blackpool its headline benchmark.
