Luke Humphries experienced a surprising 6-3 loss to Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round of the Hungarian Darts Trophy, ending the tournament favourite's run in Budapest on Saturday night. With Luke Littler absent from the event, the world No. 2 entered as the clear favorite, riding the momentum of a recent Players Championship victory in Leicester.
However, his first European Tour appearance since clinching the Belgian Darts Open title in March concluded a day before the scheduled finals. Van Duijvenbode, who reached the semi‑finals of the World Matchplay earlier in the summer, delivered the decisive blow with a spectacular 140 finish on double‑top, putting himself within a single leg of victory before finally sealing the win and booking a place in Sunday’s Finals Day. The triumph also snapped a nine‑match losing streak that the Dutchman had endured against the world No. 2; he surged ahead with four straight legs after trailing 3-2 and posted an impressive 98 average.
"Luke is an incredible player, but I think I'm alright as well," Van Duijvenbode said, noting his recent personal improvements. "I'm in a better place in life now. I've faced a lot of challenges, but things are looking up and I'm hoping to keep getting better." In other action, Michael van Gerwen rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat James Hurrell 6-4, keeping his hopes alive for a second Hungarian Darts Trophy crown and securing his spot in the Sunday finals. The event also featured a series of notable matches: Nathan Aspinall advanced to the last‑16 after overcoming Ryan Joyce 6-4, despite being out‑averaged, thanks to five 180s and a higher volume of double attempts that propelled the 15th seed forward.
Gian van Veen dominated Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major with a 6-0 whitewash, missing just three darts at a double and showcasing a flawless 167 checkout. Josh Rock mirrored that performance, delivering a 6-0 victory over an off‑form Joe Cullen. Fourth seed Jonny Clayton dispatched home hopeful László Kádár 6-3, while Keane Barry surged past Madars Razma 6-2 after stringing together five consecutive legs, earning his first European Tour finals appearance in three years. Razma, however, left Budapest with the night’s most spectacular checkout – a 158 finish completed on the bull.
The tournament had already made history earlier in the weekend when Beau Greaves became the first woman to compete in a European Tour event, pushing 2018 world champion Rob Cross to a deciding leg before succumbing 6-5. Cross needed another last‑leg escape, surviving two 136 finishes and missing match darts from Luke Woodhouse before clinching a 6-5 win with a 130 bull checkout, just a day after his narrow victory over Greaves. Defending champion Niko Springer saw his reign end abruptly as Ryan Searle beat him 6-4 in a match that lasted only 14 minutes. Searle hit a 121 break by pinning the bull, while Springer's final opportunity slipped away with a missed bull for a 164 checkout that would have forced a decider.
Gary Anderson made a bold statement in the afternoon, recording his first European Tour win of 2026 with a commanding 6-2 defeat of Krzysztof Ratajski, averaging 105.27. Dave Chisnall also posted a ton‑plus average, eliminating 13th seed Wessel Nijman 6-2.
Chris Dobey rallied from a 4-0 deficit to edge Tom Sykes 6-5, keeping his quest for a maiden European Tour title alive, and Ross Smith posted an average above 101 in a 6-2 win over William O'Connor. Jermaine Wattimena carried his Leicester title form into a 6-4 victory over Andrew Gilding, while Danny Noppert survived six missed match darts before prevailing 6-4 against Ritchie Edhouse. The afternoon session also featured matchups such as Dirk van Duijvenbode vs.
Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen vs. Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith vs. Jonny Clayton, and Ryan Searle vs. Danny Noppert, among others.
Saturday’s evening session saw Stephen Bunting dominate Jonas Masalin 6-1, Jonny Clayton beat László Kádár 6-3, and Keane Barry dispatch Madars Razma 6-2. Van Duijvenbode’s 6-3 win over Humphries and van Gerwen’s 6-4 triumph over James Hurrell were highlights, as were Gian van Veen’s 6-0 whitewash of Nandor Major and Nathan Aspinall’s 6-4 victory over Ryan Joyce. Josh Rock completed a 6-0 shutout of Joe Cullen.
Friday’s opening round featured Jonas Masalin’s 6-4 win over Kevin Doets, Andrew Gilding’s 6-0 demolition of Milan Biro, and Ritchie Edhouse’s 6-1 defeat of Connor Scutt. Niko Springer recorded a 6-1 win over Maik Kuivenhoven, while Keane Barry overcame Martin Schindler 6-2. The evening session included van Duijvenbode’s 6-1 routing of David Pisek, László Kádár’s 6-5 victory over Daryl Gurney, and Krzysztof Ratajski’s 6-5 win over Callan Rydz. Rob Cross edged Beau Greaves 6-5, and Niels Zonneveld fell 6-5 to Nandor Major.
Looking ahead, fans can wonder who will claim this year’s BoyleSports World Grand Prix. World No.
1 Luke Littler will defend his title, with the tournament broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 28 to October 4. Darts enthusiasts can stream the action via NOW, enjoying contract‑free access to live coverage, highlights, podcasts, and more.