WDF World Masters 2026 Roundup | Gemma Hayter crowned champion as Chris Lim wins deciding-leg Las Vegas final

Gemma Hayter converted her flawless group-stage campaign into the women’s title at the 2026 WDF World Masters, defeating Aurora Fochesato on Saturday’s Finals Stage in Las Vegas. Chris Lim denied Brian Raman in a 13-leg Open final, while Benjamin Dopfer and Ruby Grey collected the two youth titles at the Rio Hotel and Casino.

Hayter set the standard from the beginning of the tournament, winning all four round-robin matches without conceding a leg and topping the women’s average table.

Her perfect sequence continued with a 5-0 victory over Noelle Comyn, extending her unbeaten start to 21 consecutive legs. Reigning WDF world champion Deta Hedman ended that run but could not stop Hayter progressing, with the Englishwoman recording a 5-2 victory before surviving her most difficult match of the week against Eve Watson. Watson forced their quarter-final into a deciding leg, but Hayter prevailed 5-4 to secure her place on Saturday’s Finals Stage.

Rhian O’Sullivan provided the semi-final opposition. Hayter averaged 73.66 in a 5-2 victory, while Fochesato booked her place in the title match by defeating Miyu Miyawaki 5-3 with a 75.38 average.

Hayter then produced her strongest performance of Saturday in the final. She averaged 81.55, almost nine points more than Fochesato, to complete a 6-3 victory and collect the $6,000 winner’s prize.

Both Open semi-finals produced emphatic victories. Raman defeated Sean Fisher 6-1 with an 86.61 average, while Lim recorded the same score against Stefan Schroder to set up the title match.

Little separated Lim and Raman once they returned to the stage. Lim raised his average to 87.80 and Raman finished on 81.06, but all 13 available legs were required before the American secured a 7-6 victory.

It was another significant Las Vegas success for Lim, the son of darts legend Paul Lim. He won the Las Vegas Classic in January for the second successive year, having previously collected the Las Vegas Open title in 2023.

Lim had suffered a 4-1 defeat against Matthew Edgar during Friday’s separate World Open. His World Masters campaign proved more successful, including victories over Ethan De Veyra, Boris Krcmar, Haupai Puha, David Fatum and Schroder before his deciding-leg triumph over Raman.

The title earned Lim $12,000 and automatic qualification for the 2026 WDF World Championship at Lakeside.

The German came through a deciding leg against Tyler O’Connor in the quarter-finals before beating Cedric Kanisius 5-3 on Saturday’s Finals Stage. Eric Petereit reached the final from the other half of the draw, edging Conner Olson 5-4 despite finishing with the slightly lower average.

Dopfer saved his best performance for the title match. He averaged 84.93, comfortably the highest figure recorded across the boys’ semi-finals and final, to defeat Petereit 6-2.

Petereit had previously ended the challenge of World Open champion Peyton Hammond. The Canadian averaged 87.10 in their last-16 meeting but was beaten 4-3.

Ruby Grey completed a Las Vegas double by defeating Paige Pauling in a second final in as many days.

Grey had edged their World Open title match 4-3 on Friday. She then beat Olivia Heaton 4-1 with a 60.41 average in the World Masters semi-finals, while Pauling overcame Celina Glaser 4-2.

The rematch proved far more decisive than their first final. Grey whitewashed Pauling 5-0 to add the World Masters trophy to her World Open title and improve on her runner-up finish at the 2025 event.