Michael van Gerwen saw his attempt to retain the World Series of Darts Finals crown come to an abrupt halt in the very first round, falling 6-5 to Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney in a tightly contested match. Van Gerwen, who had been leading 5-4 and had six darts at a finishing double, was unable to convert any of those chances. The pressure mounted as Gurney forced a deciding leg, and despite a chorus of boos and whistles from the Amsterdam crowd, the Irishman kept his composure and clinched the victory.
This defeat marks only the second occasion that Van Gerwen has been knocked out in his opening match at this particular event, underscoring the challenges he has faced throughout a difficult 2026 campaign. The three‑time world champion, who has long been a dominant force on the professional circuit, now has to regroup and consider what adjustments are needed to get his season back on track.
Gurney, who has struggled to make a lasting impact on the biggest stages in recent years apart from his occasional success in the World Cup of Darts, expressed a mixture of relief and disbelief after the win. "It was really hard work. I can’t remember the last time I won on a major stage," he said, highlighting how significant this triumph is for him personally. He added, "I put my darts away twice because Michael had six match darts.
In all honesty, I was very lucky to even go 5‑5 and I had the throw – I was like ‘please, I need trebles’.” Gurney’s presence in the tournament was itself something of a last‑minute development. Visa complications forced the withdrawal of the Philippines representatives, Alexis Toylo and Lourence Ilagan.
As a result, the reserve list was consulted, and the highest‑ranked players on that list – the Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven and Gurney – were called up to fill the vacant slots. The match itself began with Gurney racing to a 3‑0 lead, a stretch in which Van Gerwen could not even manage a single dart at a double. However, the Dutch star responded emphatically, taking the next five legs in succession and appearing to have the match under control.
At 5‑4, Gurney managed to halt the momentum, and the subsequent six missed match darts by Van Gerwen proved decisive. Gurney seized the opportunity, broke Van Gerwen’s throw, held his own nerve, and secured the final leg to move on to the second round, where he will meet Ross Smith, who had dispatched Kevin Doets 6‑3 earlier in the day. Other notable first‑round action included a dramatic 6‑4 victory for England’s Luke Humphries over Dutch competitor Jermaine Wattimena. The opening four legs were split evenly before Humphries produced a spectacular 132 checkout (two bullseyes followed by a double 16) to take the lead.
Despite finding himself 5‑3 up, Humphries missed eight match darts, yet managed to close out the match after a further three missed darts in the following leg, earning a place against Dirk van Duijvenbode in Saturday’s second round. Van Duijvenbode himself had staged a comeback of his own, overturning a 4‑1 deficit to beat Sweden’s Viktor Tingstrom 6‑4. In another upset, Josh Rock rallied from behind to edge Stephen Bunting 6‑5, winning the final three legs after Bunting failed to hit his match darts. Rock’s next opponent will be Ryan Searle, who breezed past Rob Cross with a 6‑2 scoreline.
Meanwhile, Gian van Veen dispatched Chris Dobey 6‑2, and Karel Sedlacek overcame Ben Robb 6‑4 in their respective matches. The tournament’s first round will conclude on Friday with further fixtures featuring Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall. Littler, who has captured every major title available to him this year, will be looking to add a second World Series of Darts Finals crown to his growing résumé.
For fans wishing to follow the action, the organizers recommend using the Chrome browser for optimal video playback. The schedule for Thursday, September 17, lists the full slate of round‑one encounters, including the thrilling finishes and the surprising outcomes that have already set the tone for what promises to be an unpredictable and exciting tournament. Additionally, viewers can look ahead to the World Grand Prix, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 28 through October 4, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract.