Daryl Gurney saw off Michael van Gerwen in a deciding leg on Thursday, sending the defending World Series of Darts Finals champion home from the tournament at the first-round stage. After van Gerwen missed six match darts at 5-4 up, the match went to a final leg. Gurney handled the decider with composure amid boos and whistles from the Amsterdam crowd, securing a 6-5 win that advances him to the second round. There he will face Ross Smith, who earlier beat Kevin Doets 6-3.
This is the second occasion van Gerwen has fallen at the very start of the competition. His 2026 campaign has been a rough one, and this defeat marks another low point in it.
The Deciding Leg
Van Gerwen led 5-4 after taking the fifth leg, having missed six match darts at 5-4 up. That left the match tied at 5-5, and the decider went to Gurney.
Gurney said afterwards that he felt lucky to reach that position at all. “It was really hard work,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I won on a major stage.”
He added: “I put my darts away twice because Michael had six [match] darts. In all honesty, I was very lucky to even go 5-5 and I had the throw I was like ‘please I need trebles’.”
How the Match Unfolded
The three-time world champion built an early 3-0 advantage over van Gerwen because his opponent never got a dart at double. He then proceeded to win the next five legs and appeared well placed for a win.
Gurney stopped the rot early on, bringing the score to 5-4, then capitalised on van Gerwen’s missed match darts to break throw.
The Late Call-Up
The World Series of Darts Finals saw a late change when visa problems forced Philippines players Alexis Toylo and Lourence Ilagan to pull out. With both players gone, Netherlands’ Maik Kuivenhoven and Gurney were the two highest-ranked names on the reserve list, and they took their places.
Other First-Round Matches
Also on Thursday, Luke Humphries battled past Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 in another dramatic contest. The opening four legs were shared before Humphries broke with a spectacular 132 checkout (bullseye, bullseye, double 16).
After missing eight match darts at 5-3 up, Humphries still found a way to close it out, even though he then missed three more match darts in the following leg. That effort set up a Saturday afternoon second-round meeting with Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Van Duijvenbode had earlier fought back from 4-1 down to beat Sweden’s Viktor Tingstrom 6-4.
Stephen Bunting held a lead over Josh Rock before losing 5-6, as Rock won the final three legs to secure his win after the other player missed match darts. His reward is a semi-final against Ryan Searle, who beat Rob Cross 6-2 without much difficulty.
Chris Dobey lost to Gian van Veen 6-2, while Ben Robb was beaten by Karel Sedlacek 6-4 in the other two matches.
The Friday Line-Up
Friday marks the end of the opening round, with Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall all taking part.
This year, Littler has claimed every major title on offer, and he now aims to keep that run going by winning the World Series of Darts Finals for the second time.
Thursday’s Full Results
The full results from Thursday’s round one are available.
“It was really hard work. I can’t remember the last time I won on a major stage.”
What Happens Next
On Friday, Gurney plays against Ross Smith in the second round. The following day, Humphries takes on Dirk van Duijvenbode in an afternoon match.
The competition carries on until the decisive match, with all fixtures and scores listed on skysports.com.
The Verdict
Gurney called his own presence on stage fortunate, and the outcome proved it a remarkable one for him. Van Gerwen’s failure to convert match darts when leading by 5-4 cost him the title defence, with the decider revealing precisely what made him the defending champion.
Amsterdam’s crowd reacted with boos and whistles, adding to the strain, yet Gurney kept his nerve during the moments that truly counted.
A season full of difficulties has come to an unhappy close for van Gerwen.
Friday brings more action in the World Series of Darts Finals, with the remaining first-round fixtures still to take place.
See the video the story is built around at Sky Sports.
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