The Sports Guru
Michael van Gerwen's title defence at the World Series of Darts Finals lasted one match, and the identity of the player who ended it raises its own question about fine margins in this sport. This article explains how a late replacement who nearly missed the tournament altogether beat a three-time world champion in Amsterdam, and what the result means for the rest of the draw heading into Friday's concluding first-round matches.
A three-time world champion held six match darts and could not convert a single one. Daryl Gurney, only in Amsterdam because two players from the Philippines had been denied visas, took advantage to beat Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in a deciding leg on Thursday night, ending the Dutchman's World Series of Darts Finals title defence at the first hurdle. It was only the second time Van Gerwen has fallen at the opening stage of this event, and it added another setback to a testing 2026 campaign.
Six Match Darts, One Deciding Leg
Van Gerwen never got a dart at a double as Gurney surged 3-0 ahead early on. The reigning champion hit back hard, taking five legs in a row to lead 5-3 and appearing set to wrap the match up quickly. Gurney kept his own throw intact to close the gap to 5-4, and then, with Van Gerwen serving for victory, the Dutchman squandered six match darts in that single leg. Gurney broke throw and the match was tied at 5-5.
Playing an opponent of Van Gerwen's in front of an Amsterdam crowd is rarely straightforward, and the boos and whistles that greeted Gurney throughout the decider confirmed as much. He shut the noise out regardless, seeing the leg through to close the match 6-5.
"It was really hard work. I can't remember the last time I won on a major stage," Gurney said afterwards. He admitted he had been fortunate to even take the match to 5-5, and that once the throw returned to him he simply needed treble finishes to get over the line.
The missed opportunity fit a pattern of a frustrating year for Van Gerwen, and it arrived against an opponent who almost didn't make the trip to Amsterdam at all.
A Reserve Who Nearly Wasn't There
Gurney only reached Thursday's draw through circumstance. Visa complications forced Philippines pair Alexis Toylo and Lourence Ilagan to pull out, and with Gurney and the Netherlands' Maik Kuivenhoven ranked highest among the available reserves, the two stepped in. Had that paperwork issue not arisen thousands of miles away, Gurney would have had no route into the tournament.
Outside of the World Cup of Darts, Gurney has found big occasions difficult in recent seasons, which makes beating a three-time world champion - in front of a crowd hoping for the opposite outcome - one of the more unexpected results the tournament has thrown up.
He now moves on to face Ross Smith, who beat Kevin Doets 6-3 to reach the same round.
Humphries Survives His Own Wastefulness
Luke Humphries had his own battle to reach the second round, edging past Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena 6-4. After the first four legs were shared, Humphries broke throw with a 132 checkout - bullseye, bullseye, double 16 - a moment that stood out in a contest he could easily have lost.
At 5-3 up, Humphries missed eight match darts without closing the match out, then missed three more in the leg that followed. He eventually got over the line, but the finishing had been wasteful throughout.
The pattern echoed Van Gerwen's evening a few matches earlier. Missed chances did not decide Thursday's results on their own; what mattered was whether the player wasting them could still find the level required when it counted. Humphries could. Van Gerwen could not.
He now faces Dirk van Duijvenbode in Saturday afternoon's second round, after Van Duijvenbode recovered from 4-1 down to beat Sweden's Viktor Tingstrom 6-4.
A Night Built on Missed Chances
Josh Rock also required a comeback, taking the last three legs to beat Stephen Bunting 6-5 after Bunting himself missed chances to close the match out. Rock will meet Ryan Searle, who came through 6-2 against Rob Cross, in the next round. Elsewhere, Gian van Veen beat Chris Dobey 6-2 and Karel Sedlacek defeated Ben Robb 6-4.
Thursday's scorelines told two very different stories. Searle's win over Cross and van Veen's win over Dobey were comfortable, with legs in hand. Almost everyone else needed a decider, a fightback, or - in Van Gerwen's case - six missed match darts, to settle contests that on paper looked routine.
Van Gerwen, Humphries and Bunting all missed match darts on the night - Van Gerwen six in a single leg, Humphries across two separate legs, and Bunting an unspecified number that ultimately cost him the match. Only two of that trio lost as a result, which says less about who wasted the most chances and more about who could recover from wasting them.
What Friday Brings
The first round wraps up on Friday, with Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall all in action. Littler has claimed every major title on offer this year and will be chasing a second World Series of Darts Finals crown to add to that run.
Van Gerwen's defence of the title, then, was finished before this year's dominant player had even picked up a dart in Amsterdam.
Frequently Asked Questions
He missed six match darts while serving for the match at 5-4 up, then lost the resulting decider 6-5 to Daryl Gurney.
He was called up late after visa problems forced Philippines players Alexis Toylo and Lourence Ilagan to withdraw, with Gurney and the Netherlands' Maik Kuivenhoven the highest-ranked reserves available.
Ross Smith, who beat Kevin Doets 6-3 in the first round.
Yes. He missed eight match darts at 5-3 up and three more in the following leg before beating Jermaine Wattimena 6-4; he now plays Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall are among the players completing the first round.
Research: This article uses the archived evidence supplied for this story. Story inspiration: Sky Sports' original report.