Hungarian Darts Trophy Friday evening Round-up | Beau Greaves European Tour debut ends in defeat against Rob Cross despite averaging over 104 as ‘injured’ Hurrell stuns Heta

For the first time ever, a woman was competing on the European Tour. This tremendous accolade went the way of Beau Greaves who would take the headlines in this evening session of the 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy as she took on Rob Cross, and it lived up to the immense hype. It would go to the wire, and Cross had just about enough to win 6-5 despite his opponent averaging 104.88.

It is the first of a number of European Tour events that ‘Beau ‘n’ Arrow’ will feature in. It was a tough draw for both with Cross having reached the semi-final in three of the prior five Euro events. This form continued into the first leg as the 2018 world champion offered Greaves a brutal welcome with a 170 checkout to kick events off.

Greaves needed just 27 darts to break back and take the lead. Cross sealed a 14-darter with an 80 checkout but was bettered with a 12-dart hold as Greaves showed her true quality. She missed a huge chance to break, but so did Cross in the next leg as both players clinically cleaned up.

Another huge miss was this time punished in excellent fashion by Greaves. Cross missed double 16 for a 109 checkout to break, and Graves kept her cool to nail that target for a 104 to move one away from a maiden European Tour win. Cross forced a last-leg decider, and Greaves made a hash of it. She failed to get a match dart from 70 as Cross pins double four to win a classic. The wait for a first woman to win a European Tour goes on, but Greaves has left her mark in Budapest.

Aside from Greaves-Cross, one of the standout ties was Cameron Menzies’s contest against Tom Sykes. It was one of the most one-sided contests of the day with ‘The Castleford Tiger’ battering the Scot 6-1. Sykes got the first break of the match, nipping ahead as he stamped his authority. He was creating more chances with better scoring, and another break would soon come as Menzies shot himself in the foot. Sykes was playing at a great level and took out 100 on double 10 to edge one away. More missed doubles by Menzies allowed Sykes to return to the board and completes the win in rapid time on double five.

Dirk van Duijvenbode began the evening session with a comfortable 6-1 win against David Pisek. After an ominous start, Pisek broke back with an eye-catching 13-darter. However, the ‘Aubergenius’ would show his class with a brilliant 125 outshot with two double 20’s being utilised. Trouble on the big numbers cost the Czech in his first European Tour venture in three years. It could have been a closer match if Pisek was not as sloppy at times, but van Duijvenbode was always the player on top and pinned double 12 with his second match dart following a first 180 to set up a contest against the number one seed Luke Humphries.

Another 125 checkout came from Callan Rydz who started well against the last European Tour winner Krzysztof Ratajski. However, his clinical finishing would not last as the Leverkusen champion squeezed through 6-5. Rydz backed that fast start up with an 11-dart break before the Pole broke straight back. ‘The Riot’ squandered a load of chances but managed to break back with a complimentary 132 checkout to level at 4-4. ‘The Polish Eagle’ stole back the initiative before three missed match points allowed Rydz to force a decider. A fourth match dart was missed at tops, but Rydz makes a mess of it after not being able to find the big number. Double five bails out Ratajski who gets away with one.

Joe Cullen makes it five consecutive round two appearances at European Tour level after defeating Adam Leek with a commanding 6-3 lead. Leek was the latest Aussie debutant on the European Tour and made the most of it. A 164 checkout his brightest moment with a passionate celebration but was unfortunate to run into a much-improved Cullen. Averaging over 97, the 2022 champion got a break advantage with a stunning 138 outshot before controlling the match on throw. The second break of the match got the job done with a hassle-free opening round match a blessing for ‘The Rockstar.’

James Hurrell was handicapped in the sense that a cricket accident saw him boast strapping on his right arm. That did not seem to be too much of a hindrance as he produced a masterclass for a first European Tour win in a 6-5 victory against Damon Heta. Two tops were found for a 100 checkout in the first leg as the Englishman got up to speed. Both players were battering the treble 20 segment while being comfortable on throw. That was until a 12-dart break by ‘The Heat’ in the fifth leg gave him the advantage. With Hurrell sat on tops, a 107 dagger by Heta extended his lead, but this was eradicated thanks to a 112 finish on tops as ‘Hillbilly’ levelled at 4-4. Heta kept himself in the tie with a 117 checkout as the final tie of the evening went the distance. The upset was complete on the bull in what was a hugely surprising win.

Laszlo Kadar produced a huge shock in front of a home crowd who watched on as he became the fourth Hungarian to win on the European Tour following a 6-5 win over Daryl Gurney.

Boasting a new look with some glasses on, Gurney needed to be careful as he was dragged into a tense match not just against Kadar, but the partizan Hungarian crowd who were putting up passionate support for their player. Kador went a break ahead before the former Grand Prix champion managed to claw himself back level at 4-4. Two legs later, a final leg decider was on the cards, and it was remarkably tense. Both were on 170, and Kadar narrowly missed the bull for the biggest checkout in the sport.

There was the chance of Nandor Major making it a double Hungarian triumph, and it was secured by Nandor Major to continue the fantastic evening for Hungarian darts. Missed doubles proved crucial as Niels Zonneveld was pipped 6-5.

A 120 checkout to open proceedings was a promising sign, but an 11-dart break forced the Dutchman 2-1 ahead. However, in a leg where numerous doubles were spurned, the Hungarian fans were elated to see their player level at 3-3 on double nine before taking the lead for the first time since the first leg. Major failed to move one away after numerous chances were wasted. Zonneveld snuck a dart into the double 10 segment and was throwing for the match, but Major was there to pounce with tops pinned as an all-important 11th leg was needed. It ended in style as the Hungarian found the bull for a 124 checkout to continue the home success in Budapest.