Luke Humphries will not be part of finals day at the 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy. The world number two was beaten 6-3 by Dirk van Duijvenbode on Saturday night in Budapest, in a second round that has blown the draw wide open before Sunday's last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
The result matters because it came at the worst possible moment for the logical favourite. Luke Littler skipped the event, Humphries arrived with a recent Players Championship title behind him, and the MVM Dome looked like a real chance for him to tighten his grip on the season. Instead, Van Duijvenbode ended a nine-match losing run against him and booked a direct meeting with Rob Cross.
Van Duijvenbode knocks out Humphries at the Hungarian Darts Trophy
The match turned when Van Duijvenbode stopped absorbing pressure. From 3-2 down, the Dutchman won four legs in a row to shut the door on Humphries, averaging close to 98 and producing a 140 checkout at exactly the right moment. According to the PDC, the win ended a run of nine straight defeats against Humphries.
This was more than a draw upset. Van Duijvenbode has been rebuilding his presence over the summer, including a World Matchplay semi-final, and this victory confirms that his resurgence is no longer just a small signal. Here, he beat the player everyone expected to set the pace in Budapest.
His reaction said plenty. The PDC quoted him as saying: "Luke is a phenomenal player, but I think I'm okay as well." In other words, Van Duijvenbode is not selling this as a one-off moment. He has put himself back into the conversation.
Cross, Van Gerwen and Van Veen still have plenty to say
Sunday's draw now looks much thicker than it did on Friday. Van Duijvenbode will face Rob Cross, who has already survived two deciding legs in Budapest. Cross first edged past Beau Greaves after she pushed him all the way on her European Tour debut, then beat Luke Woodhouse 6-5 with a 130 bull finish in the last leg. For the full context behind that first warning shot, our piece on Beau Greaves' near-upset against Rob Cross is still the right entry point.
Michael van Gerwen did not have everything his own way, but he is still alive. He recovered from 3-1 down against James Hurrell to win 6-4 and set up a last-16 meeting with Nathan Aspinall. It was not a statement performance, but on a packed finals day, staying in the draw can be enough to do damage.
Gian van Veen sent a sharper message: a 6-0 win over Nandor Major, 67% on the doubles and a 167 finish. Against Jermaine Wattimena, he now gets a genuine rhythm test, especially against a player who has just won Players Championship 27 and remains dangerous over short formats.
Anderson still produced the cleanest burst of the day
Before Humphries fell, Gary Anderson had already posted a major marker. The Scot beat Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 with a 105.27 average, the strongest performance of the day according to the official report. The result also ended Ratajski's attempt to build immediately on a recent European Tour title.
Anderson did not need to say much afterwards. The level did the work: clean start, instant pressure, very little room for Ratajski to settle. For a player still looking for a proper European breakthrough in 2026, this changes the read on his Sunday. He will face Stephen Bunting, who beat Jonas Masalin 6-1.
The defending champion, however, will not be defending his crown to the end. Niko Springer lost 6-4 to Ryan Searle in a match the PDC said lasted just 14 minutes. Another important piece of the draw disappeared before finals day.
Sunday's last-16 ties in Budapest
Finals day will be split into two parts: the last 16 in the afternoon, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening. With Humphries and Springer out, the tournament has lost two reference points but gained several strong angles.
| Last-16 tie | Quick read |
|---|---|
| Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Rob Cross | The Humphries conqueror against the king of deciders |
| Danny Noppert vs Ryan Searle | Searle has just knocked out the defending champion |
| Jonny Clayton vs Ross Smith | Two solid profiles, with Smith coming off a ton-plus average |
| Keane Barry vs Dave Chisnall | Barry is back on a European Sunday, Chisnall has Grand Prix hopes |
| Gian van Veen vs Jermaine Wattimena | Two Dutch players in form, a real rhythm battle |
| Stephen Bunting vs Gary Anderson | Anderson arrives with Saturday's standout average |
| Michael van Gerwen vs Nathan Aspinall | A heavy last-16 clash |
| Josh Rock vs Chris Dobey | Rock whitewashed Cullen, Dobey survived from 4-0 down |
Full second-round results
| Session | Result |
|---|---|
| Afternoon | Ross Smith 6-2 William O'Connor |
| Afternoon | Dave Chisnall 6-2 Wessel Nijman |
| Afternoon | Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Andrew Gilding |
| Afternoon | Danny Noppert 6-4 Ritchie Edhouse |
| Afternoon | Ryan Searle 6-4 Niko Springer |
| Afternoon | Rob Cross 6-5 Luke Woodhouse |
| Afternoon | Gary Anderson 6-2 Krzysztof Ratajski |
| Afternoon | Chris Dobey 6-5 Tom Sykes |
| Evening | Stephen Bunting 6-1 Jonas Masalin |
| Evening | Jonny Clayton 6-3 Laszlo Kadar |
| Evening | Keane Barry 6-2 Madars Razma |
| Evening | Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Luke Humphries |
| Evening | Michael van Gerwen 6-4 James Hurrell |
| Evening | Gian van Veen 6-0 Nandor Major |
| Evening | Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Ryan Joyce |
| Evening | Josh Rock 6-0 Joe Cullen |
The Hungarian Darts Trophy is now being played without its main favourite. That is exactly what makes Sunday interesting: Van Duijvenbode opened the door, Anderson produced Saturday's highest level, and Van Gerwen remains in the draw despite a scare. Over short formats, that is enough to make the end of the weekend seriously awkward.
Sources: PDC, Sky Sports.
