James Wade finally put an end to a ten‑year wait for a European Tour championship when he out‑scored Ross Smith 8‑4 in the final of the Flanders Darts Trophy. The 43‑year‑old, who had not lifted a continental trophy since his victory at the European Darts Matchplay in Hamburg back in 2016, delivered a stellar performance in Antwerp on Sunday evening, posting a 95.50 three‑dart average and hitting five perfect 180s during the match. Wade's route to the final was equally impressive.

Earlier in the day he dispatched Damon Heta 7‑4 in the semi‑final, after a dominant 6‑0 whitewash of Danny Noppert in the quarter‑finals and a nail‑biting 6‑5 win over former world champion Rob Cross in the last‑16 round. "Some weeks it's good, sometimes it's bad.

That's how it is for me," Wade said after collecting the £35,000 winner's cheque. "If it was good all the time, I'd smash them all to bits. We can't always select how we feel." The victory was historically significant for Wade. He first appeared in a European Tour final at the 2012 Austrian event, and this win marks his triumph in the 150th European Tour tournament ever staged.

It also restores his status as one of the tour's most consistent competitors, finally adding a long‑awaited title to his extensive resume. Ross Smith, the runner‑up, had entered the final on the back of a recent win at the Hungarian Darts Trophy two weeks earlier. His day had been a marathon of close encounters, as he edged past Gian van Veen, Ryan Joyce and Gerwyn Price in last‑leg deciders before meeting Wade.

"I rode my luck today and the players have let me off, but Wade doesn’t let you off ever," Smith remarked after the match. "I admire him.

I watch his game and I can only admire the guy. James thoroughly deserved the win today. He's just—he's absolute class, isn’t he?" The European Tour will continue with the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel, scheduled for 9‑11 October, where the field will again feature the sport's elite.

Below is a summary of the Sunday evening session results: Final – James Wade 8‑4 Ross Smith Semi‑Finals – Ross Smith 7‑6 Gian van Veen; James Wade 7‑4 Damon Heta Quarter‑Finals – Gian van Veen 6‑3 Chris Dobey; Ross Smith 6‑5 Ryan Joyce; James Wade 6‑0 Danny Noppert; Damon Heta 6‑5 Nathan Aspinall Afternoon Session – Round Three highlights included Gian van Veen 6‑5 Kevin Doets, Chris Dobey 6‑5 Ryan Searle, Ryan Joyce 6‑5 Jermaine Wattimena, Ross Smith 6‑5 Gerwyn Price, James Wade 6‑5 Rob Cross, Danny Noppert 6‑4 Wessel Nijman, Damon Heta 6‑3 Luke Woodhouse, Nathan Aspinall 6‑4 Stephen Bunting. In related news, the 32‑player field for the 2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester has been announced following the conclusion of the Belgian event. Defending champion Luke Littler leads a strong lineup that will compete for a newly‑increased top prize of £150,000, with the tournament running from 28 September to 4 October and every session broadcast live on Sky Sports. The draw is set to be made on Monday, 14 September.

The top 16 players from the PDC rankings, seeded for the first‑round draw, are: 1. Luke Littler, 2. Luke Humphries, 3. Gian van Veen, 4.

Gerwyn Price, 5. Jonny Clayton, 6. James Wade, 7. Josh Rock, 8.

Danny Noppert, 9. Michael van Gerwen, 10. Gary Anderson, 11. Stephen Bunting, 12.

Wessel Nijman, 13. Ross Smith, 14.

Ryan Searle, 15. Chris Dobey, 16.

Nathan Aspinall. Qualifiers from the ProTour rankings include Luke Woodhouse, Kevin Doets, Jermaine Wattimena, Krzysztof Ratajski, Andrew Gilding, William O'Connor, Damon Heta, Rob Cross, Ryan Joyce, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Niels Zonneveld, Cameron Menzies, Niko Springer, Dave Chisnall, Sebastian Bialecki and Joe Cullen. Sky Sports remains the primary broadcaster for darts, covering the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), the Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January).

Fans can also stream all events via the NOW platform without a contract, ensuring continuous access to live darts action throughout the season.