Luke Humphries experienced an unexpected 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. Humphries entered the event as the clear front‑runner after world No.
2 Luke Littler withdrew and after a confident victory at the Players Championship in Leicester earlier in the week. Yet his first European Tour appearance since clinching the Belgian Darts Open in March concluded a day before the finals, leaving fans and commentators surprised. Van Duijvenbode, who earlier this summer reached the semi‑finals of the World Matchplay, displayed his class by hitting a spectacular 140 finish on a double‑top to bring himself within a leg of the match. He then sealed the win, ending a nine‑match losing streak against the world No.
2 by taking four straight legs from 3‑2 down and posting an impressive 98 average. After the match, the Dutchman reflected on his performance, saying, "Luke is a phenomenal player, but I think I'm okay as well. I'm happier in life at the moment. I've had a lot of struggles, but I feel better, life is better and I'm getting better now hopefully." Van Duijvenbode has been a runner‑up three times on the European Tour, and this victory adds another deep run to his résumé.
The evening also featured a comeback from Michael van Gerwen, who rallied from 3‑1 down to defeat James Hurrell 6‑4, keeping his hopes alive for a second Hungarian Darts Trophy crown and booking a place in Sunday's finals day. Van Gerwen will meet Nathan Aspinall in the last‑16 after Aspinall edged Ryan Joyce 6‑4 despite being out‑averaged, thanks to five 180s and a higher volume of double chances that saw the 15th seed through.
In other matches, Gian van Veen dominated Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major with a 6‑0 whitewash, missing only three darts at a double and showcasing a flawless 167 checkout. Josh Rock also recorded a 6‑0 victory, overcoming an off‑form Joe Cullen. Fourth seed Jonny Clayton defeated home favourite Laszlo Kadar 6‑3, while Keane Barry stormed back from a slow start to win five consecutive legs and beat Madars Razma 6‑2, securing his first European Tour finals appearance in three years. Razma, however, left Budapest with the night’s most spectacular checkout – a 158 finish finished on the bull.
The tournament made history earlier in the weekend when Beau Greaves became the first woman to compete in a European Tour event. She pushed 2018 world champion Rob Cross to a deciding leg before narrowly losing 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 dramatic win over Greaves. Defending champion Niko Springer saw his reign end swiftly as Ryan Searle beat him 6‑4 in a 14‑minute encounter.
Searle hit a 121 break with a bull finish, while Springer's final opportunity was a missed bull for a 164 checkout that would have forced a decider. Gary Anderson announced his return to form with a first European Tour title of 2026, posting a 105.27 average in a 6‑2 demolition of Krzysztof Ratajski.
Dave Chisnall also posted a ton‑plus average, eliminating 13th seed Wessel Nijman 6‑2. Chris Dobey rallied from 4‑0 down to edge Tom Sykes 6‑5, keeping his maiden European Tour title within reach.
Ross Smith averaged over 101 to defeat William O'Connor 6‑2. Jermaine Wattimena carried his Leicester title momentum into a 6‑4 win over Andrew Gilding, and Danny Noppert survived six missed match darts before overcoming Ritchie Edhouse 6‑4.
The schedule for the final day included high‑stakes match‑ups: Dirk van Duijvenbode versus Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen versus Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith versus Jonny Clayton, Ryan Searle versus Danny Noppert, Stephen Bunting versus Gary Anderson, Chris Dobey versus Josh Rock, and Jermaine Wattimena versus Gian van Veen. Earlier rounds featured a flurry of 6‑2 and 6‑4 results across both afternoon and evening sessions, highlighting the depth of talent on display. Beyond the Hungarian Darts Trophy, the darts calendar is already buzzing about the upcoming BoyleSports World Grand Prix, where world No. 1 Luke Littler will defend his title.
The event runs from September 28 to October 4 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available through NOW without a contract. Overall, the Hungarian Darts Trophy delivered a blend of surprise upsets, historic moments, and high‑quality darts, setting the stage for an exciting finals day and providing plenty of storylines for fans to follow as the season progresses.