Day one of the Hungarian Darts Trophy delivered a thrilling spectacle, marked by a historic debut and several nail-biting finishes. Women’s darts sensation Beau Greaves made history as the first woman to compete in a PDC European Tour event, delivering an incredible performance against former World Champion Rob Cross, who narrowly won a deciding leg. Defending champion Niko Springer began his title defense strongly, while former champions Joe Cullen and Dave Chisnall also secured wins. Home crowd heroes Laszlo Kadar and Nandor Major caused significant upsets, delighting the Budapest audience. The stage is now set for an explosive second day with many top players in action.
Greaves’ Historic Debut Shines Bright, Cross Edges Through
The opening day of the Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest was dominated by a truly memorable moment: Beau Greaves, the three-time Women’s World Matchplay champion, became the first woman ever to compete in a PDC European Tour event. Her performance was nothing short of sensational, averaging an incredible 104.88 with five 180s. Despite her brilliant display, former World Champion Rob Cross managed to secure a dramatic deciding-leg victory against the 22-year-old talent.
Cross, who himself averaged 101.9 and hit a spectacular 170 checkout, was full of praise for his opponent. “Beau is brilliant. She is going places… She has been phenomenal on the ProTour, and I think when she learns her trade on the big stage, she’s going to do more,” he commented, acknowledging her immense potential. Cross will now face Luke Woodhouse on Saturday.
Defending Champion Springer Returns with a Roar
Defending champion Niko Springer made a triumphant return to the Budapest stage, showing his intent for back-to-back titles. He comfortably defeated Maik Kuivenhoven 6-1, expressing his joy at being back: “I have so many good memories coming back here… I had a big smile because I was so happy to be here again, and I cannot wait to play tomorrow!”
Former Champions and Close Calls
The MVM Dome also welcomed back former champions who wasted no time in securing their spots in the next round:
- Joe Cullen demonstrated strong form, averaging almost 98 and hitting 60% of his doubles to defeat Adam Leek 6-3.
- Dave Chisnall showcased his clinical finishing with checkouts of 101, 120, and 136 in his 6-3 victory over Andras Borbely. He now faces the in-form Wessel Nijman.
In another thrilling encounter, Krzysztof Ratajski began his quest for consecutive PDC European Tour titles. He survived two match darts to clinch a dramatic 6-5 triumph over Callan Rydz, setting up a highly anticipated clash with Scottish legend Gary Anderson.
Host Nation Heroes Deliver Stunning Upsets
The local crowd had plenty to cheer about as both Hungarian Host Nation Qualifiers delivered memorable upset victories, proving the power of home support:
- Laszlo Kadar, making his European Tour debut, performed brilliantly with an average over 93 to claim the significant scalp of Daryl Gurney in a deciding leg. He now faces a tough challenge against fourth seed Jonny Clayton.
- Nandor Major stunned Niels Zonneveld in a deciding leg with a terrific 124 checkout on the bullseye. His reward is a second-round match against world number three Gian van Veen.
Other Notable Results and Upsets
Day one also saw several other intriguing matches and high-profile casualties:
- Kevin Doets suffered a surprising 6-4 loss to Nordic & Baltic qualifier Jonas Masalin, missing a staggering 31 darts at double.
- World Matchplay semi-finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode eased past Czechia’s David Pisek 6-1, setting up a heavyweight showdown with Luke Humphries.
- Tom Sykes impressed with a 101 average in his dominant 6-1 win over Cameron Menzies.
- Keane Barry matched Sykes’ 101 average to overcome German number one Martin Schindler 6-2.
- James Hurrell, recovering from a recent injury, snatched a dramatic last-leg victory over Damon Heta for his first-ever win on the PDC European Tour. He now faces darts superstar Michael van Gerwen.
- Former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse reeled off six successive legs for a 6-1 win over Connor Scutt, earning him a clash with last year’s runner-up Danny Noppert.
- Andrew Gilding cruised to a 6-0 whitewash victory over Host Nation qualifier Milan Biro.
- Ryan Joyce and William O’Connor also secured their spots in Saturday’s action with wins over Cristo Reyes and Samuel Price, respectively.
Looking Ahead: Saturday’s Blockbuster Second Round
The 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy continues with an action-packed Saturday, featuring the entry of the top seeds. Fans can look forward to a double-header of darts at the MVM Dome in Budapest. World number two Luke Humphries kicks off his campaign alongside Dutch trio Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, and Wessel Nijman. The stage is set for more thrilling darts as the tournament progresses!
Friday, August 28 – Round One Results:
- Jonas Masalin 6-4 Kevin Doets
- Andrew Gilding 6-0 Milan Biro
- Ritchie Edhouse 6-1 Connor Scutt
- Niko Springer 6-1 Maik Kuivenhoven
- William O’Connor 6-2 Samuel Price
- Keane Barry 6-2 Martin Schindler
- Ryan Joyce 6-3 Cristo Reyes
- Dave Chisnall 6-3 Andras Borbely
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 David Pisek
- Laszlo Kadar 6-5 Daryl Gurney
- Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Callan Rydz
- Joe Cullen 6-3 Adam Leek
- Rob Cross 6-5 Beau Greaves
- Nandor Major 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
- Tom Sykes 6-1 Cameron Menzies
- James Hurrell 6-5 Damon Heta
Saturday, August 29 – Round Two Schedule:
Afternoon Session (13:00 local time)
- Ross Smith v William O’Connor
- Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall
- Jermaine Wattimena v Andrew Gilding
- Danny Noppert v Ritchie Edhouse
- Ryan Searle v Niko Springer
- Luke Woodhouse v Rob Cross
- Gary Anderson v Krzysztof Ratajski
- Chris Dobey v Tom Sykes
Evening Session (19:00 local time)
- Stephen Bunting v Jonas Masalin
- Jonny Clayton v Laszlo Kadar
- Madars Razma v Keane Barry
- Luke Humphries v Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Michael van Gerwen v James Hurrell
- Gian van Veen v Nandor Major
- Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Joyce
- Josh Rock v Joe Cullen
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
