Luke Humphries ended a title drought as he beat 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 fired through a strong Sunday, defeating Jermaine Wattimena, Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen and then overcoming Premier League leader Clayton in the final.
Humphries opened the day by demolishing Wattimena 6-1. He survived a nervy 6-5 quarter-final against Dobey, having missed 24 darts at double, then produced the night’s standout display in the semi-final by crushing Michael van Gerwen 7-2, averaging 105.96 and hitting a 129 checkout to seal the win.
In the final, Clayton took the opening leg but Humphries ran six straight legs to lead 6-1, including a 142 checkout and a 130 finish. Clayton mounted a fierce fightback, winning four of the next five legs and landing a spectacular 126 bull checkout after Humphries had missed the bull on a 132 combination. Humphries denied a deciding last leg by pinning a 13-dart leg to clinch the title 8-6.
After collecting the trophy Humphries said his scoring had been good but doubles had been a struggle at times, adding: “It’s nice to get that winning feeling again. A nice big trophy on the big stage.” He acknowledged Clayton’s resilience: “Jonny is one of the most underrated darts players in the world… he’s just there and he won’t leave.”
Luke Littler, the back-to-back defending champion in Wieze, began strongly with a 6-2 win over Boris Krcmar, averaging 104.70, but his 12-match winning streak at the Belgian Darts Open came to an abrupt end. Dutchman Niels Zonneveld produced a dramatic last-leg decider, finishing with a 147 checkout to defeat world No 1 Littler. Zonneveld came from 3-1 down to take the win and said he felt relief and pride after hitting the decisive finish.
Other notable results included Michael van Gerwen edging Daryl Gurney 6-5 in a match that spoiled Gurney’s birthday, and narrow wins across the afternoon session where several ties finished 6-5.
Sunday March 22 — Selected Results
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’ Belgian win 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 victory over Littler was notable: he is the first player outside the Top 12 to beat Littler since October 2025 and the first outside the Top 16 to beat 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 triumphs and Humphries will aim for back-to-back titles. Meanwhile, Premier League Night Eight takes place in Berlin on March 26, with quarter-final matchups including Jonny Clayton vs Josh Rock, Luke Humphries vs Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler vs Stephen Bunting, and Gerwyn Price vs Gian van Veen.