Humphries Upset in Hungarian Darts Trophy Second Round

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 entered the event as the clear front‑runner after world No.

2 Luke Littler withdrew, and he had been riding high following a victory at the Players Championship in Leicester earlier that week. However, his first European Tour appearance since capturing 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, seized the momentum with a spectacular 140 finish on a double‑top finish to bring himself within a single leg of the match. He then clinched the win, securing his place on Sunday’s Finals Day.

The Dutchman broke a nine‑match losing streak against the world No. 2 by stringing together four consecutive legs after trailing 3-2, and he posted an impressive average of 98.

"Luke is a phenomenal player, but I think I'm okay as well," Van Duijvenbode said, noting his recent personal improvements. "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 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 guaranteeing his spot in the Sunday finals. Other notable results included Nathan Aspinall advancing to the last 16 after a 6-4 victory over Ryan Joyce.

Despite being out‑averaged, Aspinall hit five 180s and capitalised on a higher volume of double attempts to progress as the 15th seed. Gian van Veen delivered a dominant performance, whitewashing Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major 6-0 while missing just three darts at a double and finishing with a flawless 167 checkout. Josh Rock also posted a 6-0 win, overcoming an off‑form Joe Cullen. Fourth seed Jonny Clayton defeated home favourite László Kádár 6-3, while Keane Barry stormed through by taking five straight legs to beat Madars Razma 6-2, reaching his first European Tour finals day in three years.

Razma, however, produced the night’s most memorable checkout—a 158 finish 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.

The following day, Cross needed a second consecutive last‑leg escape, surviving two 136 finishes and missing match darts from Luke Woodhouse before clinching a 6-5 win with a 130 bullseye finish. Defending champion Niko Springer’s reign ended abruptly when Ryan Searle beat him 6-4 in a match that lasted only 14 minutes. Searle hit a 121 bull finish en route, while Springer missed a 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, averaging 105.27 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 staged a remarkable comeback from 4-0 down to edge Tom Sykes 6-5, keeping his maiden European Tour title within reach. Ross Smith recorded an over‑101 average in a 6-2 win over William O'Connor. Jermaine Wattimena carried the momentum from his Leicester title into a 6-4 victory over Andrew Gilding, while Danny Noppert survived six missed match darts before prevailing 6-4 against Ritchie Edhouse.

The schedule for the concluding sessions was packed: - Sunday, August 30 (Afternoon): 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, Jermaine Wattimena vs Gian van Veen, Dave Chisnall vs Keane Barry. - Saturday, August 29 (Round Two Afternoon): Ross Smith 6-2 William O'Connor, Dave Chisnall 6-2 Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Andrew Gilding, Danny Noppert 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse, Ryan Searle 6-4 Niko Springer, Rob Cross 6-5 Luke Woodhouse, Gary Anderson 6-2 Krzysztof Ratajski, Chris Dobey 6-5 Tom Sykes.

- Saturday Evening: Stephen Bunting 6-1 Jonas Masalin, Jonny Clayton 6-3 László Kádár, Keane Barry 6-2 Madars Razma, Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen 6-4 James Hurrell, Gian van Veen 6-0 Nandor Major, Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Ryan Joyce, Josh Rock 6-0 Joe Cullen. - Friday, August 28 (Round One Afternoon): Jonas Masalin 6-4 Kevin Doets, Andrew Gilding 6-0 Milan Biro, Ritchie Edhouse 6-1 Connor Scutt, Niko Springer 6-1 Maik Kuivenhoven, William O'Connor 6-2 Samuel Price, Keane Barry 6-2 Martin Schindler, Ryan Joyce 6-3 Cristo Reyes, Dave Chisnall 6-3 András Borbély. - Friday Evening: Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 David Písek, László Kádár 6-5 Daryl Gurney, Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Callan Rydz, Joe Cullen 6-3 Adam Leek, Rob Cross 6-5 Beau Greaves, Nandor Major 6-5 Niels Zonneveld, Tom Sykes 6-1 Cameron Menzies, James Hurrell 6-5 Damon Heta.

Looking ahead, the BoyleSports World Grand Prix will take place from September 28 to October 4, with world No. 1 Luke Littler defending his title. The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can stream darts and other top sports without a contract through the NOW platform.