Wayne Mardle and opponent Willie O'Connor pay tribute to brilliant Beau Greaves despite the teen star falling to a 3-0 defeat to 'The Magpie' Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship - live on Sky Sports - all the way through until the final on January 3
Saturday 17 December 2022 10:55, UK
Wayne Mardle says teenager Beau Greaves "acquitted herself brilliantly" on her Alexandra Palace debut, while opponent Willie O'Connor believes she has a "big future".
Greaves fell to a 3-0 defeat on her history-making appearance at the World Darts Championship, with O'Connor proving too strong in their first-round clash.
The 18-year-old is the youngest woman to compete in the tournament and has been in dominant form in the PDC Women's Series, but she was unable to land a blow on her Irish opponent.
"I'm actually pleased for Beau that she has come up here and played so well. Yes, I'm disappointed she lost, of course, but Willie held it together quite beautifully and didn't get embroiled in any of it"
Her maiden appearance had started in eye-catching fashion as she nailed a 120 checkout and, despite another impressive finish of 122 in the second set, O'Connor was ruthless as Greaves' radar wandered in the final set.
Speaking to host Emma Paton, 'Hawaii 501' Mardle said: "There were no negatives that I could point out. She ended up losing her last six legs incredibly and it doesn't seem that way.
"Normally when someone gets beat 3-0 they were second best, but I think the only time she was second best was in the last set. Willie O'Connor had to reel off the last three legs of the second set.
"Beau did so much right. Unfortunately, there were just too many visits of 60 or 59 and they just caught up with her at the end.
"It came down to missing a 161 on the bullseye, missing the 32 as well, just the one dart here and there that makes all the difference. She acquitted herself brilliantly.
"I hope she goes away thinking she played well and felt good. She looked great and the action is to die for - it's so fluent and it's so good.
"Willie knows that he has been in an absolute brawl. Even though it was 3-0, the scoreline in his favour makes it look like it was simple, and it certainly was not that."
Mardle added: "I'm actually pleased for Beau that she has come up here and played so well. Yes, I'm disappointed she lost, of course, but Willie held it together quite beautifully and didn't get embroiled in any of it."
O'Connor applauded Greaves on her performance and joked that he was "William O'Nerves" on the stage against the teenager from Doncaster.
"She definitely had her chances but she didn't take them. It just fell my way," he said. "She threw brilliant stuff and she's got a huge future ahead of her. Hopefully, this is the last time I play her for a long time.
"I don't need this attention. I just want to sneak away in the corner and mind my own business. I didn't want that draw. I don't think anybody wanted that draw. She's won everything. Nobody wants that smoke, especially not me!
"I play the best players in the world every week so there's nothing she can do that I haven't seen already. I came out with the win and that's the most important thing."
O'Connor added: "I was a bag of nerves. I was William O'Nerves. She played brilliant. A little bit of experience on my side got me through.
"I didn't look at anything that she has ever done but she's only going to get better in time. She earned my respect."
Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship - live on Sky Sports - from December 15 to January 3.
