Michael van Gerwen's troubled campaign took another significant blow on Saturday evening when he fell to Mensur Suljovic 6-4 in the opening match of the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel. The defeat marked a continuation of the Dutchman's struggles throughout 2026, extending a run of early exits that has become increasingly difficult to ignore.
Suljovic controlled much of the contest, establishing a commanding 5-2 lead before Van Gerwen mounted a challenge. However, the three-time world champion squandered three darts that would have forced a deciding leg, allowing his opponent to seal the victory. According to DartsNews, Van Gerwen averaged 91.01 to Suljovic's 91.51, with the Austrian clinching the win on double ten.
This represented Suljovic's fourth consecutive victory over Van Gerwen, a remarkable streak that underscores the Dutchman's current form. More troublingly for the former world number one, this marked the fifth occasion in six tournaments that he has departed after just one match—a statistic that paints a bleak picture of his season.
The loss carries particular significance as it represents the first time Van Gerwen has lost his opening match in four separate European Tour events during the same season since the competition's inception in 2012. His exits have come at the European Darts Trophy, German Darts Grand Prix, Flanders Darts Trophy, and now the Swiss Darts Trophy.
Van Gerwen had entered the tournament as the fifth seed and received a bye into the last 32. According to TalkSport, his exit earned him £3,500, bringing his 2026 European Tour prize money to £56,000.
Humphries survives scare, Clayton impresses
While Van Gerwen's day ended in disappointment, newly crowned World Grand Prix champion Luke Humphries advanced to Finals Day with a hard-fought victory. Facing Kevin Doets on the second day of competition at the St. Jakobshalle, Humphries raced into a 3-0 lead with checkouts of 122 and 121, appearing to be cruising to victory.
Doets, however, mounted a fierce comeback, forcing Humphries to dig deep. The Englishman's average of just under 103 and his 67% success rate at the double proved sufficient to secure a narrow win in a breathless deciding leg.
I was really pleased with that performance. I felt like I was the better player for most of the game, but Kevin was really strong at the end there, so I had to really work my socks off.
Humphries' progression proved significant given what would follow. According to Sky Sports, Humphries would eventually reach the final after defeating Mensur Suljovic 7-4 in the semi-final, only to fall short in the championship match.
European Champion Gian van Veen delivered a dominant display, producing three consecutive ton-plus checkouts to whitewash Niko Springer in just under ten minutes. His clinical performance set the stage for a deep run through the draw.
Jonny Clayton, meanwhile, stole the show with a scintillating performance against Maik Kuivenhoven, averaging 108.81 and landing two bullseye finishes to launch his title bid in style. Clayton's impressive form would ultimately prove decisive, as he went on to claim the trophy. According to Sporting Life, Clayton defeated Humphries 8-4 in Sunday's final to claim his fourth European Tour title, marking his first PDC ranking title in more than a year.
Defending champion Bunting exits, new era begins
Saturday's action produced a remarkable upset as defending champion Stephen Bunting crashed out of the tournament. Swedish star Jeffrey de Graaf produced a clinical doubling display to eliminate Bunting, denying him the chance to mount a title defence.
Bunting had won the 2025 final 8-3 against Luke Woodhouse, but his reign came to an abrupt end in Basel. Fellow former champion Martin Schindler also departed, swept aside by Tom Bissell, who qualified for Finals Day for the first time in his European Tour career.
The departures of both previous winners guaranteed that a new champion would be crowned at the St. Jakobshalle on Sunday evening, ending a period of continuity at the tournament.
Wade's streak ends, Smith impresses
Dirk van Duijvenbode recorded his fifth consecutive victory against James Wade, ending the left-hander's bid for back-to-back European Tour titles. The result set up a last-16 clash between Van Duijvenbode and a resurgent Michael Smith.
Smith delivered one of his finest performances of the season to defeat Jermaine Wattimena 6-4, converting consecutive checkouts of 116, 124 and 144 in the process. Averaging just shy of 103, Smith's quality display preserved his hopes of qualifying for the Machineseeker European Championship later in the month.
Rob Cross halted Luke Woodhouse's mid-match fightback to secure a battling 6-4 victory, setting up a last-16 encounter with Clayton. Josh Rock's 6-5 victory over Dave Chisnall and Damon Heta's 6-3 win against Danny Noppert completed the day's action.
Finals Day schedule and tournament structure
Finals Day at the Swiss Darts Trophy began at 11am on Sunday with the last-16 matches, before the tournament concluded with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a blockbuster evening session commencing at 5pm.
The afternoon session featured eight last-16 ties: Josh Rock versus Karel Sedlacek, Jonny Clayton against Rob Cross, Jeffrey de Graaf facing Bradley Brooks, Gian van Veen meeting Tom Bissell, Mensur Suljovic playing Ross Smith, Dirk van Duijvenbode against Michael Smith, Damon Heta versus Cristo Reyes, and Luke Humphries taking on Krzysztof Ratajski.
The evening session's quarter-final pairings were determined by the afternoon results, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals and ultimately the final.
Van Gerwen's redemption opportunity looms
Van Gerwen's struggles at the Swiss Darts Trophy represent the latest chapter in a difficult season, though opportunities for redemption remain. The Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht will serve as the final European Tour event of 2026, with the top 32 finishers qualifying for the Machineseeker European Championship. Van Gerwen will be seeking to end his recent poor form and secure his place in that competition.
Sky Sports continues as the home of darts, with the Grand Slam of Darts scheduled for November 14-22 in Wolverhampton, followed by the World Darts Championship running from December 11 through January 3. Both tournaments will be broadcast live, with streaming available through NOW with no contract required.
