16-year-old nine-dart prodigy Archie Self makes more history, beats Andy Baetens to £25,000 MODUS Super Series Champions Week title
MODUS
Archie Self has crowned a remarkable week in the MODUS Super Series by defeating Andy Baetens 4-2 in the Champions Week final. The sixteen-year-old Englishman claimed the £25,000 top prize after producing a superb display on Finals Night, further enhancing his reputation as one of the most exciting young talents in darts.
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Self overcame the Belgian in the final despite having previously lost 4-3 to him earlier in the evening. The teenager showed tremendous composure when it mattered most, capitalising on Baetens' struggles on the doubles to secure a memorable victory and the Champions Week title.
Champions Week is the culmination of a twelve-week cycle in the popular MODUS Super Series. A winner is crowned each week, and the twelve weekly champions then meet during Finals Week. They compete to decide who will be crowned champion of the entire cycle. Alongside the prestigious title, the winner also collects an attractive £25,000 prize.
The competition has grown considerably in popularity in recent years. Matches are streamed live on YouTube, and the MODUS Super Series has become a familiar name among darts fans. Much of that interest comes from the young talents who appear in the event. Luke Littler, for example, impressed during his appearances in the competition before making his breakthrough on the major PDC stage.
Self's triumph adds another significant chapter to that story. At just sixteen years old, the Englishman has now secured one of the most lucrative titles available outside the established PDC circuit, doing so against a field of experienced players.
Archie Self dominates group stage and produces nine-darter
Self enjoyed a remarkably strong group stage, winning 13 of his 15 matches to qualify convincingly for the decisive phase of the tournament. The Englishman demonstrated his consistency throughout the week and continued to deliver when the pressure increased on Finals Night.
One of the standout moments came during his match against Danny Ayres, when Self produced a nine-darter. In doing so, he made history by becoming the youngest player ever to hit a perfect leg during a broadcast on British television.
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He broke the record previously set by Luke Littler, who had already made a huge impression on the darts world at a young age. Self's achievement further underlines the remarkable depth of talent emerging in the sport.
The teenager continued to impress during the knockout stages. In the semi-final against Scott Robertson, Self posted an outstanding average of 107.92, beating his opponent with a performance that demonstrated both his scoring power and maturity.
Robertson was unable to contain the young Englishman, who showed that his talent extends well beyond his years. Self entered the final with considerable momentum, although he would face a stern test against Baetens.
Self gets revenge on Baetens in the final
Baetens had made an excellent start to Finals Night, where he faced the eventual champion and David Davies in the final group. Against Davies, the Belgian left no doubt about his superiority, recording a convincing 4-0 win.
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Baetens also came out on top against Self initially. In a close match, he defeated the young Englishman 4-3, seemingly giving the Belgian a psychological advantage ahead of a potential rematch.
Derek Coulson awaited Baetens in the semi-final. That, too, was a tense contest, and Baetens again had to dig deep. The Beast from The East stayed composed at the key moments and edged it 4-3, securing his place in the final and keeping his hopes of the £25,000 top prize alive.
However, Self had the final say when the pair met again. The sixteen-year-old recovered superbly from his earlier defeat and delivered when it mattered most.
Baetens had plenty of opportunities to put Self under pressure but missed far too many doubles. The Belgian had no fewer than twenty attempts at a double and converted only two. Such a low checkout rate proved costly against a player of Self's calibre.
Self made the most of his opponent's missed chances. The young Englishman kept his composure, took the key legs and sealed a 4-2 victory.
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The triumph was a particularly impressive achievement given that Self had already lost to Baetens earlier in the evening. The teenager demonstrated an ability to respond to setbacks and deliver under pressure, qualities that will serve him well in the years ahead.
ARCHIE SELF IS YOUR SERIES 15 CHAMPION 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 History repeats itself as the Live Lounge crowns its 2nd ever 16 year-old Champion, picking up £25,000! 🤩 https://t.co/dCTcY4gaN0
— MODUS Super Series (@MSSdarts) October 31, 2026
Archie Self makes history at just sixteen
The fact that Self has won Champions Week at just sixteen years old makes the achievement all the more remarkable. The Englishman is one of the biggest young talents on the international darts scene, and he reinforced that reputation throughout the week.
His group-stage record of 13 wins from 15 matches, combined with his nine-darter against Ayres and his 107.92 semi-final average against Robertson, highlighted the level he is already capable of reaching.
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Self also showed remarkable mental strength in the final. Having lost to Baetens earlier in the evening, he could have struggled to regain his confidence. Instead, he produced his best when the £25,000 prize was on the line.
The victory makes Self the second-ever sixteen-year-old champion in the MODUS Super Series Live Lounge, adding another historic milestone to his growing career.
Self secures World Championship spot, while Baetens left disappointed
Self can now turn his attention to the World Darts Championship. The sixteen-year-old will soon have the chance to showcase his talent on the biggest stage in darts. After his impressive performances in the MODUS Super Series, expectations for his World Championship debut will undoubtedly be high.
Baetens still has a chance to qualify for the World Championship. Later this month, the Belgian can try to secure a spot at Alexandra Palace through a qualifying event. That would be a fine way to erase the bitter memory of his final defeat.
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For the Belgian, however, the Champions Week final ended in disappointment. Baetens had fought his way through a challenging Finals Night and appeared to be in a strong position to claim the top prize. His missed doubles ultimately proved decisive.
After the match, Baetens chose to share his feelings on social media. On Facebook, the Belgian made clear how much the defeat had hurt. He thanked everyone who had supported him during the week, but was also highly critical of himself.
“This hurts so much,” Baetens wrote. “Thanks to everyone who watched and supported me this week. Maybe I've let a lot of people down, and I've let myself down too. We'll see what the future brings.”
His words showed just how deeply the defeat affected the Belgian. For a long time, he stood with both hands over his face, seemingly unable to take in what had just happened. The final had offered him a golden chance to win a major title, but he ultimately had to settle for second place.
For 'The Beast from The East', balancing his darts career with everyday life is not always easy. The Belgian is now back working full-time at the Spar in Hofstade. That makes his strong performances in the MODUS Super Series all the more impressive. Baetens once again showed this week that he has the ability to compete with high-calibre opponents.
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Ultimately, though, Champions Week belonged to Archie Self. The sixteen-year-old secured the £25,000 prize, produced a historic nine-darter and defeated a highly experienced opponent in Baetens. His latest achievement further confirms that he is a player to watch closely in the years ahead.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026
- Littler lost to crabtree in the youth/junior/whatever you call it. He had no point in being there. He's unfortunately now got to the stage,he feels all he has to do is get on the stage to win. Well,I hope he realises part of his fear factor has gone. Happened to Taylor,then van gerwen,and it's causing him to realise pretty sharp,he isn't unstoppable. It's good for the sport,not 1 single player in my 60 years has ever,or will ever be, unbeatable.rick6725-10-2026
- I think it's great to see Mark Webster looking good,good ladrick6725-10-2026
- I agree,I can't believe the lack of coverage of this sad loss. Always enjoyed watching him,but I guess now it's all about littler,well it seems that way. Darts has sadly lost a good manrick6717-10-2026
- In the absence of a report regarding the death of Stefan Lord, I'll assist. An excellent player in the late 70s and early 80s, he actually won the now defunct 3rd place match at two World Championships and a couple of the News of the World Championships. A fabulous player and easily the best Swedish player ever. Rest peacefully Stefan.richieburnettrocks16-10-2026