Luke Littler arrives in Amsterdam with an opportunity to maintain his pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep of all major PDC titles in a single year, as the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals gets underway from September 17 to 20 at AFAS Live.
The world champion and 2024 tournament winner faces Danny Noppert in Friday's opening round, seeking to build on his bid for a historic achievement. Littler was defeated 11-7 by Michael van Gerwen in last year's final but returns to the Netherlands determined to reclaim the trophy.
Van Gerwen's reign as defending champion ended in disappointment on Thursday when he fell 6-5 to Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney in a shock first-round exit. The result marked a significant upset for the three-time world champion, who had been among the favourites heading into the competition.
Gurney's presence in the draw came about following late changes to the field. According to Sky Sports, Philippine players Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo withdrew due to visa complications, forcing tournament organisers to activate replacements from the reserve list. Gurney and the Netherlands' Maik Kuivenhoven, who were the highest-ranked players available as backups, stepped into the 32-player field.
The tournament structure draws its competitors from multiple qualification pathways. According to the PDC, the field comprises 24 players from the final World Series rankings, four non-qualified players from the PDC Order of Merit, and four Tour Card Holder Qualifiers, creating a competitive blend of established stars and emerging talent.
Luke Humphries, another major title contender, advanced past Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 on Thursday evening. The Englishman will face Dirk van Duijvenbode in Saturday's second round, where he meets one of the tournament's most consistent performers.
Gian van Veen made a commanding start to his campaign, defeating Chris Dobey 6-2 to set up a second-round clash with Karel Sedlacek, who upset Ben Robb 6-4 in his opening match.
Gerwyn Price, competing in Friday's opening round against Brody Klinge, represents Wales' challenge in a tournament that carries significant prize money. According to Sky Sports, the event offers a top prize of £100,000 to the champion, underlining the tournament's status as one of darts' premier competitions.
Thursday's Results
Viktor Tingstrom fell 6-4 to Dirk van Duijvenbode in the opening match of the tournament. Rob Cross suffered a heavier defeat, losing 6-2 to Ryan Searle in a disappointing display.
Karel Sedlacek's 6-4 victory over Ben Robb proved decisive, while Kevin Doets was beaten 6-3 by Ross Smith. Stephen Bunting went down 6-5 to Josh Rock in a closely contested affair.
Humphries' win over Wattimena secured his progression, and Van Veen's commanding performance against Dobey rounded out the evening's action.
Friday's Fixtures
The tournament continues on Friday evening at 1800 with eight first-round matches. Littler's clash with Noppert headlines the session, with the world champion seeking to establish early momentum.
Adam Leek faces Jim Long, while Motomu Sakai takes on Callan Rydz. Wessel Nijman meets Simon Whitlock, and Nathan Aspinall plays Raymond Smith. James Wade confronts Damon Heta, and Jonny Clayton squares off against Maik Kuivenhoven, the reserve list player who replaced a withdrawn competitor.
Price's match against Klinge completes the evening's programme, offering the Welshman a chance to advance toward the weekend's knockout stages.
Saturday's Action
The tournament moves into its second round on Saturday with four matches scheduled for the afternoon session at 1200. Gurney, fresh from his upset victory, faces Ross Smith, while Rock meets Searle. Humphries plays Van Duijvenbode, and Van Veen takes on Sedlacek.
The evening session at 1800 features four more second-round encounters, with the winners of Friday's matches competing. Price and Klinge's victor will face either Leek or Long, while Wade and Heta's conqueror meets Nijman or Whitlock. Littler and Noppert's winner plays the survivor of Aspinall versus Raymond Smith, and Clayton or Kuivenhoven faces Sakai or Rydz.
Sunday's Climax
The quarter-finals take place on Sunday afternoon at 1200, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for the evening session at 1800. The compressed schedule ensures that the champion will be crowned by day's end, with the £100,000 prize awaiting the winner.
Littler's Clean Sweep Bid
Littler's pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep of all major PDC titles in 2026 represents one of the sport's defining narratives this year. Victory in Amsterdam would represent a significant step toward achieving what no player has accomplished before, adding to his already remarkable season.
Looking Ahead
Following the World Series Finals, Sky Sports will broadcast the World Grand Prix from September 28 to October 4, the Grand Slam of Darts from November 14 to 22, and the World Darts Championship from December 10 to January 3. Fans can stream all events through NOW with no contract required.
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