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. Humphries, who entered the event as the clear favorite after world No. 2 ranking and a recent Players Championship victory in Leicester, was expected to dominate his first European Tour appearance since clinching the Belgian Darts Open in March.
Instead, his campaign concluded a day before the finals day. Van Duijvenbode, who had reached the World Matchplay semi‑finals earlier in the summer, turned the match in his favour with a spectacular 140 checkout on double tops, bringing himself within a leg of victory.
He then sealed the win, ending a nine‑match losing streak against the world No. 2 by taking four successive legs from 3‑2 down and posting an impressive 98 average.
"Luke is an outstanding player, but I think I'm okay as well," said the Dutchman, who has finished runner‑up three times on the European Tour. "I'm happier in life right now.
I've had a lot of struggles, but I'm feeling better, life is better and I'm improving, hopefully." Other notable results from the tournament included Michael van Gerwen fighting back from 3‑1 down to beat James Hurrell 6‑4, keeping his hopes alive for a second Hungarian Darts Trophy title and securing a spot in Sunday's finals day. Van Gerwen will meet Nathan Aspinall in the last‑16 after Aspinall overcame Ryan Joyce 6‑4 despite being out‑averaged; Aspinall's five 180s and greater number of double chances propelled the 15th seed through.
In a dominant display, Gian van Veen white‑washed Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major 6‑0, missing only three darts at a double and finishing with a flawless 167 checkout. Josh Rock also recorded a 6‑0 victory, dispatching an off‑form Joe Cullen. Fourth seed Jonny Clayton defeated home hopeful László Kádár, who had stunned Daryl Gurney on Friday, by 6‑3.
Irish youngster Keane Barry surged back into the spotlight, rattling off five straight legs to beat Madars Razma 6‑2 and reach his first European Tour finals day in three years. Razma, however, left Budapest with the evening's most spectacular checkout – a 158 finish that landed on the bull. The event already made history earlier in the weekend when Beau Greaves became the first woman to compete in a European Tour tournament. Greaves pushed 2018 world champion Rob Cross to a deciding leg before ultimately losing 6‑5.
Cross required a second consecutive last‑leg escape, surviving two 136 finishes and missing match darts from Luke Woodhouse before clinching the win with a 130 bull checkout. Defending champion Niko Springer saw his reign end quickly as Ryan Searle defeated him 6‑4 in a match that lasted just 14 minutes. Searle hit a 121 bull finish on his way through, while Springer's final opportunity was a missed bull for a 164 checkout that would have forced a decider. Gary Anderson delivered a statement performance, recording his first European Tour victory of 2026 with a 6‑2 demolition of Krzysztof Ratajski while averaging 105.27.
Dave Chisnall also posted a ton‑plus average, eliminating 13th seed Wessel Nijman 6‑2. Chris Dobey mounted a comeback from 4‑0 down to edge Tom Sykes 6‑5, keeping his dream of a maiden European Tour title alive.
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 triumph over Andrew Gilding, and Danny Noppert survived six missed match darts before beating Ritchie Edhouse 6‑4. The schedule for the concluding sessions was packed.
On Sunday, August 30, the afternoon session featured matches such as Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Rob Cross and Michael van Gerwen vs. Nathan Aspinall.
The evening session saw Stephen Bunting take on Gary Anderson, Chris Dobey face Josh Rock, and other high‑stakes encounters. Saturday’s round two featured Ross Smith’s 6‑2 victory over William O'Connor, Dave Chisnall’s 6‑2 win against Wessel Nijman, and a series of other decisive results.
The evening session highlighted Dirk van Duijvenbode’s 6‑3 win over Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen’s 6‑4 victory over James Hurrell. Friday’s opening round included Jonas Masalin’s 6‑4 win over Kevin Doets, Andrew Gilding’s 6‑0 thrashing of Milan Biro, and a series of other matches that set the stage for the dramatic second‑round upsets. Looking ahead, fans are already speculating about the upcoming BoyleSports World Grand Prix, where world No.
1 Luke Littler will defend his title. The tournament 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 mix of surprise upsets, historic milestones, and high‑quality darts, reinforcing the depth of talent on the PDC circuit and providing plenty of excitement for supporters worldwide.