Luke Humphries ended a title drought by beating Jonny Clayton 8-6 to win the Belgian Darts Open in Wieze, claiming his first stage title since September and his ninth European Tour victory overall. Humphries enjoyed a dominant Sunday, dispatching Jermaine Wattimena, surviving a tight match with Chris Dobey, downing Michael van Gerwen and then overcoming Premier League leader Clayton in the final.
Humphries opened the day with a 6-1 demolition of Wattimena. He then edged a nervy quarter-final against Dobey 6-5 after missing 24 darts at double, before producing the night’s standout performance in the semi-final: a 7-2 victory over Michael van Gerwen, averaging 105.96 and sealing the win with a 129 checkout.
In the final Clayton took the first leg, but Humphries reeled off six successive legs to lead 6-1, including finishes of 142 and 130. Clayton fought back strongly, winning four of the next five legs and landing a stunning 126 bull checkout after Humphries had missed the bull on a 132 combination. Humphries closed out the match with a 13-dart leg to deny a deciding final leg and secure the title 8-6.
After the win Humphries said his scoring had been solid while doubles had been patchy at times: “It’s nice to get that winning feeling again. A nice big trophy on the big stage.” He paid tribute to Clayton’s resilience, adding: “Jonny is one of the most underrated darts players in the world… he’s just there and he won’t leave.”
Defending champion Luke Littler, unbeaten in Wieze across 12 matches, began the day impressively with a 6-2 win over Boris Krcmar, averaging 104.70. His run, however, ended in dramatic fashion when Dutchman Niels Zonneveld edged him 6-5 with a 147 checkout in the final leg. Zonneveld recovered from 3-1 down to take the match and said he felt relief and pride after hitting the decisive finish.
Other notable results included Michael van Gerwen edging Daryl Gurney 6-5, a result that spoiled Gurney’s birthday, and several other ties across the afternoon session finishing 6-5.
Selected results (Sunday March 22)
Afternoon Session (Round Three)
– Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Luke Littler
– Danny Noppert 6-5 Ryan Searle
– Jonny Clayton 6-5 Ross Smith
– Andy Baetens 6-5 Martin Schindler
– Luke Humphries 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
– Chris Dobey 6-3 Kim Huybrechts
– Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Daryl Gurney
– Ryan Joyce 6-5 Cristo Reyes
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
– Niels Zonneveld 6-3 Danny Noppert
– Jonny Clayton 6-1 Andy Baetens
– Luke Humphries 6-5 Chris Dobey
– Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Ryan Joyce
Semi-Finals
– Jonny Clayton 7-6 Niels Zonneveld
– Luke Humphries 7-2 Michael van Gerwen
Final
– Luke Humphries 8-6 Jonny Clayton
Humphries’ victory moves him to nine European Tour titles from 54 events, placing him second on the all-time Euro Tour list behind Michael van Gerwen. Zonneveld’s win over Littler was notable: he became the first player outside the Top 12 to beat Littler since October 2025 and the first player outside the Top 16 to defeat him on a stage since Andrew Gilding at the 2024 European Championships.
The Winamax European Tour continues with the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich from April 4-6, where Van Gerwen will seek successive titles and Humphries will aim for back-to-back victories. Meanwhile Premier League Night Eight takes place in Berlin on March 26, with quarter-final ties including Jonny Clayton vs Josh Rock, Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price vs Gian van Veen.