“I had my chances, but just didn’t take them” – Danny Noppert suffers ‘whitewash’ in Winmau World Masters quarterfinals

Danny Noppert fell short of reaching the semi-finals of the 2026 Winmau World Masters. The Dutchman suffered a clear defeat in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-finals against Luke Humphries. The former world champion was far too strong, claiming a 4-0 set win and taking full advantage of Noppert’s many misses on the doubles.

Ahead of the clash at the Winmau World Masters, a tight battle was expected between two players who have often met on the big stage in recent years. That tension barely materialized. Humphries started sharply and set the tone immediately with heavy scoring, while Noppert struggled to find his level. The opening set already showed that the Dutchman had trouble closing out his legs.

The problems on the doubles would ultimately prove decisive for the course of the match. In the second set, Noppert had a golden chance to draw level, but he missed a crucial dart at a double. Humphries punished it straight away and moved 2-0 ahead in sets. With that score, the pair went into the first break, a moment that could have offered Noppert hope of a turnaround.

After the interval, however, the pattern barely changed. Humphries remained steady and composed, while Noppert visibly struggled with his finishing. The Frisian missed “a handful” of darts at doubles on multiple occasions, something that is ruthlessly punished at this level. Humphries capitalized and stretched the lead to 3-0 in sets, effectively putting the match to bed.

To make matters worse for Noppert, Humphries also imposed his dominance in the fourth set. The Englishman gave scarcely any chances away and finished the job professionally: 4-0. That brought an early end to Noppert’s World Masters campaign, despite him stating before the tournament that he aimed to go deep.

After the match, a visibly disappointed Noppert spoke to Viaplay. “This really didn’t need to happen,” he admitted. The Dutchman was realistic about the cause of his defeat, pointing mainly to his many misses on the doubles. “I think that’s where it mainly went wrong. I got my chances but just didn’t take them.”

According to Noppert, missing doubles is part of the game, but this time it came at a particularly unfortunate moment. “That it happens is of course part of it. But for it to happen right now in the quarter-final against a Humphries… Today it was just nowhere to be found,” said the Dutchman, who did not hide his frustration.

Noppert dismissed the idea that the pressure of a quarter-final on a big stage played a role. “I’m not under extra pressure,” he explained. “I play every match against the board and against myself. That’s always the case. He just did well.”

With those words, the Dutchman also gave credit to his opponent, who he felt was simply the better player at the key moments.

Noppert concluded his analysis sportingly by acknowledging that Humphries’ victory was deserved. “He deserved to win,” the Dutchman concluded.