The 2025 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay will take place on Sunday, as reigning champion Beau Greaves chases a third consecutive title at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
The fourth edition of the £25,000 event will be held on the afternoon of Sunday July 27, televised live on Sky Sports and through the PDC's global broadcast partners.
The eight-player field consists of players from the rolling 12-month PDC Women's Series rankings, as Greaves headlines a star-studded cast at the Empress Ballroom.
Top seed Greaves defeated Fallon Sherrock to triumph in last year’s showpiece, and the 21-year-old will begin her bid for a hat-trick of titles against Finland’s Kirsi Viinaikainen.
Viinaikainen claimed her maiden Women’s Series crown back in March, and she will make history by becoming the first Scandinavian representative to compete in the Women’s World Matchplay.
However, Greaves makes her Winter Gardens return as the overwhelming title favourite, having won each of the last five PDC Women’s Series events – a winning run spanning 32 matches.
“I seem to be quite comfortable on that stage,” admitted Greaves, also a winner of three Winmau Development Tour titles and two Challenge Tour events this year.
“I’ve played a lot of games on this stage so I should be used to it by now!
“This is a tournament we all look forward to. It is great for the women's game, and I’m really excited to be back.
“This is what you play on the Women’s Series circuit all year for, so it would be amazing to win this title again.
“I think if I’m able to relax and get going then I will be tough to beat, but it’s darts – you never know what is going to happen on the day.”
Sherrock won the tournament’s inaugural staging in 2022, and the Milton Keynes trailblazer will kick off her campaign against newcomer Gemma Hayter in a stand-out quarter-final clash.
Hayter has made impressive progress over the last 18 months, winning a brace of titles in 2024 before featuring in two of the year’s opening four finals to confirm her big stage debut.
Sherrock, meanwhile, is one of only two ever-presents in this year’s Women’s World Matchplay field, and she will hope her wealth of big stage experience pays dividends in her latest Blackpool bid.
“I’m really looking forward to being back at the World Matchplay,” insisted the former Grand Slam quarter-finalist.
“This is one of the biggest titles I’ve ever won, and it’s always special to represent the women’s game here in Blackpool.
“I’m trying to go back to basics with my game and not put too much pressure on myself, and hopefully that will pay off.
“I think it will be a really good game against Gemma. She is a very good player and we’re both capable of hitting big averages.”
Sherrock is situated in the bottom half of the draw alongside Dutch star Noa-Lynn van Leuven, who is seeded second for her third Women’s World Matchplay appearance.
Van Leuven celebrated back-to-back Women’s Series titles on home soil in Rosmalen back in April, and she will play the returning Lorraine Winstanley in her opener.
Winstanley reached the semi-finals of the 2022 event, while Van Leuven is chasing her first victory at the Empress Ballroom, having suffered back-to-back first round exits in 2023 and 2024.
“I feel good. I feel ready to go out and play my game at this iconic venue,” claimed Van Leuven, who has competed at the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Darts Championship over the last year.
“Last year I played a good game against Mikuru [Suzuki], but I lacked a bit of confidence.
“I think I’ve gained a lot of big stage experience now, so hopefully I can bring my A-game to the stage this time.
“It’s such a short format so you have to be at your best from the first dart, and it’s important that I start quickly.”
The afternoon’s other quarter-final tie will see three-time semi-finalist Lisa Ashton take on Ireland’s Robyn Byrne, who also reached the last four in 2023.
Lancashire veteran Ashton won the year’s opening Women’s Series event before progressing to a further three finals, with Byrne also featuring in a hat-trick of finals across the course of the campaign to secure her Blackpool return.
The semi-finals and final will also take place in a bumper afternoon session at the Winter Gardens, with the winner set to qualify for the 2025 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts and the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.
Tickets for the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay are still available to purchase here.
The Betfred Women's World Matchplay will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
Betfred Women's World Matchplay
Sunday July 27 (1300 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Beau Greaves v Kirsi Viinikainen
Lisa Ashton v Robyn Byrne
Noa-Lynn van Leuven v Lorraine Winstanley
Fallon Sherrock v Gemma Hayter
Semi-Finals
Greaves/Viinikainen v Ashton/Byrne
Van Leuven/Winstanley v Sherrock/Hayter
Final
v
Format
Quarter-Finals - Best of seven legs
Semi-Finals - Best of nine legs
Final - Best of 11 legs
Prize Money
Winner: £10,000
Runner-Up: £5,000
Semi-Finalists: £2,500
Quarter-Finalists: £1,250
Total: £25,000