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 evening. With Luke Littler absent from the event, the world No.
2 entered as the clear contender, fresh off a victory at the Players Championship in Leicester earlier in the week. However, his first European Tour appearance since claiming 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 this summer, sealed the match with a spectacular 140 finish on double‑tops, putting himself within a leg of victory before finally clinching the win and booking his spot for Sunday’s Finals Day.
The triumph also snapped a nine‑match losing streak that the Dutchman had endured against the world No. 2, as he rattled off four straight legs after trailing 3‑2 and posted an impressive average of 98. "Luke is a phenomenal player, but I think I'm okay as well," Van Duijvenbode said, noting his status as a three‑time runner‑up on the European Tour circuit.
"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." The night 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 securing his place on the finals stage.
Other notable results included Nathan Aspinall’s 6‑4 victory over Ryan Joyce in the last‑16, despite being out‑averaged; Aspinall’s five 180s and a higher volume of double chances helped the 15th seed progress. Gian van Veen delivered a dominant 6‑0 whitewash of Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major, missing just three darts at a double and finishing with a flawless 167 checkout. Josh Rock also posted a 6‑0 win, overcoming an out‑of‑form Joe Cullen. Fourth seed Jonny Clayton overcame local hope László Kádár 6‑3, after Kádár had stunned Daryl Gurney the previous evening.
Keane Barry stormed back into the spotlight by stringing together five consecutive legs to beat Madars Razma 6‑2, earning his first European Tour finals appearance in three years. Although Razma left Budapest with the night’s most spectacular checkout—a 158 finish on the bull—Barry’s run was the headline. 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 eventually losing 6‑5.
Cross needed a second successive last‑leg escape, surviving two 136 finishes and missing match darts from Luke Woodhouse before finally sealing a 6‑5 win with a 130 checkout on the bull, a day after his dramatic finish against Greaves. Defending champion Niko Springer saw his reign end in a rapid 6‑4 defeat to Ryan Searle, a match that lasted just 14 minutes. Searle hit a 121 break by pinning the bull, while Springer's last chance involved a missed bull for a 164 checkout that would have forced a decider. Gary Anderson announced his arrival on the afternoon stage with a first European Tour triumph of 2026, posting a 105.27 average in a 6‑2 dismantling of Krzysztof Ratajski.
Dave Chisnall also produced 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 quest for a maiden European Tour title alive. Ross Smith recorded 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 to defeat Ritchie Edhouse 6‑4. The schedule for Sunday, August 30, featured an afternoon session at 12 pm with matches such as Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith vs Jonny Clayton, Ryan Searle vs Danny Noppert, Stephen Bunting vs Gary Anderson, Chris Dobey vs Josh Rock, and Jermaine Wattimena vs Gian van Veen. The evening session on Saturday, August 29, saw Dirk van Duijvenbode dispatch Luke Humphries 6‑3, while Michael van Gerwen beat James Hurrell 6‑4 and Gian van Veen blanked Nandor Major 6‑0. Earlier rounds on Friday, August 28, included a notable win for Beau Greaves against Rob Cross, who edged her 6‑5 after a tense final leg.
The day also featured strong performances from Jonas Masalin, Kevin Doets, Andrew Gilding, and many others across both afternoon and evening sessions. Looking ahead, fans are already speculating about the upcoming BoyleSports World Grand Prix. World No.
1 Luke Littler will defend his title, with the tournament set to run from September 28 to October 4 on Sky Sports. Darts enthusiasts can stream the action without a contract via NOW, and additional coverage, highlights, and podcasts such as "Love the Darts" are available for those who want to stay up to date with the sport's latest developments.