Lisa Ashton will open her defence of the 2026 Betfred Women’s World Matchplay against Wales’ Rhian O’Sullivan, with the eight-player line-up for next month’s showpiece event now confirmed.
The fifth staging of the Women's World Matchplay will be held on the afternoon of Sunday July 26 at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, televised live on Sky Sports and through the PDC's global broadcast partners.
Reigning champion Ashton will be among the star attractions at the Empress Ballroom in the £40,000 tournament, with two-time winner Beau Greaves and 2022 champion Fallon Sherrock also set to headline.
The field is comprised of the top eight players from the 12-month rolling Women’s Series rankings since last July, with Ashton returning to Blackpool as the number two seed.
The Lancashire trailblazer will kick off her title challenge against O’Sullivan, who will make her third Women’s World Matchplay appearance in this summer's showpiece.
Top seed Greaves - who claimed back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024 - will be aiming to reclaim the title following her unprecedented 114-match winning run on the Women’s Series circuit between April 2025 and March 2026.
Betfred Women's World Matchplay Rankings Top Eight
1 - Beau Greaves - £45,700
2 - Lisa Ashton - £15,550
3 - Fallon Sherrock - £13,150
4 - Gemma Hayter - £9,800
5 - Vicky Pruim - £8,250
6 - Deta Hedman - £7,500
7 - Rhian O’Sullivan - £6,300
8 - Kirsi Viinikainen - £6,150
See your PDC event brief
2026 Betfred Women's World Matchplay
Sunday July 26
Draw Bracket
(1) Beau Greaves v (8) Kirsi Viinikainen
(4) Gemma Hayter v (5) Vicky Pruim
(2) Lisa Ashton v (7) Rhian O’Sullivan
(3) Fallon Sherrock v (6) Deta Hedman
Format
Quarter-Finals - Best of nine legs
Semi-Finals - Best of nine legs
Final - Best of 11 legs
Prize Money
Winner: £15,000
Runner-Up: £8,000
Semi-Finalists: £4,500
Quarter-Finalists: £2,000
Total: £40,000
