World Series of Darts Finals Saturday afternoon Round-Up | Dazzling Dirk van Duijvenbode stuns Luke Humphries in Double Dutch delight
PDC
Dirk van Duijvenbode has dumped out Luke Humphries in a brilliant comeback win for 'The Titan' to reach the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam in a double win for the Dutch stars, with Gian van Veen also throwing.
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Humphries looked very likely to win it for the most part, including towards the end, but a late break for Van Duijvenbode, who always was on his coattails, proved to be the catalyst for a deciding leg 10-9 win.
Van Duijvenbode hit double 20 for 1-0 before double six for 1-1. Van Duijvenbode left 25 and hit it for 2-1. Van Duijvenbode led 3-2 with an 80 checkout, but it was an 81 checkout for 3-3 for Humphries.
Humphries surged. He broke for 4-3 on double 18 after Van Duijvenbode missed 81, and he then held on double 10 for 5-3. Humphries broke again for 6-3, pinning 65, but he missed chances for 7-3, and Van Duijvenbode broke back for 6-4.
Van Duijvenbode held on double 10 for 6-5 down, but Humphries was set to throw for 7-5. It was 7-5 as Humphries pinned 94 to go three away from the finish. A 35 checkout and Humphries makes it 8-6. Van Duijvenbode, though, levelled hitting 64 and then double 16 for 8-8. Van Duijvenbode went one away at 9-8, but in the decider he hit double 16 to win 10-9.

Luke Humphries exits.
Van Veen gives Double Dutch delight
Gian van Veen has also managed to win through surging past Karel Sedlacek to delight the home fans at the AFAS Live after seeing off the Czech ace 10-7.
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Van Veen and Sedlacek began at 1-1 to start the third tie of the afternoon. Sedlacek hit double 16 to make it 1-0, but Van Veen backed it with 160. Sedlacek hit back with a 121 checkout to make it 2-1, but another hold for Van Veen, who made it 2-2 with an 80 checkout.
An exquisite 147 checkout from Van Veen followed to make it 3-3. Van Veen broke for 4-3, pinning 60. Sedlacek broke back on double 20, but Van Veen then broke again on double 12 for 5-4. Continued breaks, but it was finally Van Veen who came through the other side. He managed to pin 72 for 7-5 and held the throw to head closer to the finish.
Van Veen was two away. He pinned 25 after missing 121 and now sits at 8-6. GVV sealed it from there. He held on double eight for 9-7 and has broken again for 52 after initially missing 90 to win in the first place.
Ross Smith also managed to move into the final day to continue his exceptional form as he saw off Daryl Gurney 10-5. Smith put the 180s on a pinhead, but Gurney managed to lead early. He broke on double 13 for 2-1. Smith broke back, pinning 112 for 2-2. Smith went 3-2 up with a 56 checkout, but Gurney came back with 106.
Smith led 4-3 on double 16, with Gurney set to throw for 4-4. Smith hit the front and broke again. He went 6-4 up on double eight and held on 41 for 7-4 in the race to ten.
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Smith broke again for 8-4 on 52. He surged to victory to continue that form. He went one away on double eight, then sealed the deal on the same target for 10-5.
| Daryl Gurney | VS | Ross Smith |
|---|---|---|
| 94.57 | Average (3 Darts) | 100.3 |
| 17 | 100+ Thrown | 13 |
| 11 | 140+ Thrown | 12 |
| 1 | 180 Thrown | 6 |
| 164 | Highest Checkout | 112 |
| 2 | Checkout 100+ | 0 |
| 50 | Checkout percentage | 62.5 |
| 3 / 6 | Checkout | 8 / 14 |
Josh Rock is also through seeing off Ryan Searle 10-7 to book his spot with no huge shocks this afternoon. To start, it was double seven for Searle to break; he held from there on double 20, but back came Rock, who made it 2-2 with an 88 checkout. Rock held on 47 for 3-2. But Searle hit double 18 for 3-3.
Rock hits 109 for 4-3; Searle responded on double 20 before Rock hits 66 for 5-4. 5-5 for Searle, though, who hit 52. Rock hit 70 and led 6-5. Searle pins double 14, and it was set at 6-6. Rock surged again in a race to ten on the return from the break. He hit 146 for 7-6 and now broke through after a protracted leg where both have had chances. Searle couldn't hold, though, and Rock hits double four for 8-6. Searle hit double 10 to make it 9-7. But Rock won, pinning double 16 to win it 10-7.
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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







