Luke Littler stunned by Doncaster ace Beau Greaves in World Junior Championships
Doncaster’s Beau Greaves stunned world champion Luke Littler as she became the first women to qualify for the final of darts’ World Youth Championship.
The 21-year-old pipped the sport’s superstar Littler in a semi-final last-leg decider at Robin Park in Wigan, averaging 105 with every three darts thrown.
Eighteen-year-old Littler, who had won the PDC World Grand Prix only 24 hours earlier, averaged 107.4, landed a brace of 10-darters and missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in the fourth leg of the contest.
Greaves, though, produced a sensational 11-dart break of throw in 11th and deciding leg and will face Dutch star Gian van Veen, the reigning champion, in next month’s final.
Three-time WDF women’s world champion Greaves – who is expected to accept a PDC Tour card for 2026-27 – has also won the PDC Women’s World Matchplay twice.
Littler had continued his superb recent form by dismantling rival Luke Humphries 6-1 in the World Grand Prix final in Leicester on Sunday night to land a fourth major trophy of the year.
Rather than taking some downtime after what Littler admitted had been a “brutal” double-start event in Leicester, the world champion was back at the oche at the Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan on Monday afternoon as part of the 128-strong field.
The event began with a round-robin format as 128 of the world's top youth talents were split into 32 groups of four. Greaves opened the tournament with a hat-trick of wins, storming through to the last 16 where she overturned a 4-2 deficit against Tyler Thorpe, reeling off four consecutive legs in 14, 15, 13 and 15 darts.
Greaves then beat Liam Maendl-Lawrance 6-2 at the quarter-final stage to set up her showdown with Littler, which she won by a similar scoreline.
Littler took to social media to congratulate Greaves on her win and wish her well for the final, where the 21-year-old will bid for a first World Youth title.
Writing on his Instagram story, Littler said: “I had two 10-dart legs, missed double 12 for a nine and still couldn’t win. Fair play to Beau. All the best in Minehead.
"Some talent.”