Luke Humphries exits World Darts Championship following defeat to Gian van Veen
Luke Humphries has crashed out of the 2026 World Darts Championship following a crushing 5-1 defeat to Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace, reports BritPanorama.
The loss comes just weeks after the 2024 champion boldly declared he would claim the Sid Waddell trophy for a second time. Instead, on Thursday evening, the 30-year-old from Newbury was eliminated by the tenth seed.
Van Veen delivered a masterclass against the world number two, posting an impressive average of 105.41 throughout the match. The 23-year-old Dutchman seized control early, winning the opening set against the throw before building a commanding 3-1 advantage.
Humphries struggled at crucial moments, with fans pinpointing a disastrous visit in the fifth set where he needed 95 to win but missed the board entirely with two of his three darts. The European Championship winner capitalised ruthlessly on such errors, eventually wrapping up victory in the sixth set.
Van Veen’s triumph sees him rise to provisional world number three, overtaking Michael van Gerwen as Dutch number one. The rising star expressed his elation following what he described as the biggest victory of his career. “This smile won’t go for 24 hours, I’m so over the moon. I felt really, really good today, incredible,” he said.
He acknowledged the quality of his opponent while explaining how the contest unfolded. “He’s a fantastic player. Whenever I play Luke, I know I have to perform at my best to even have a chance against him,” Van Veen added. “The first couple of sets I felt comfortable, but he was better scoring-wise, but he missed doubles and I took my chances and as soon as I took the third set, I started to feel comfortable.”
In contrast, defending champion Luke Littler enjoyed a far more comfortable evening, dismantling Krzysztof Ratajski 5-0 in emphatic fashion. Littler averaged over 100 and converted more than 55 per cent of his doubles, including a spectacular 170 checkout in the opening set.
Friday’s semi-finals will see Van Veen face Gary Anderson, while Littler takes on Ryan Searle, who earlier defeated Jonny Clayton 5-2. It’s all set up for a thrilling continuation of the championship, with the stakes higher than ever and surprises lurking just around the corner.
