James Wade wins Flanders Darts Trophy

James Wade secured the Flanders Darts Trophy in Antwerp, marking his first PDC European Tour title in a decade. Wade defeated Ross Smith 8-4 in the final held at the Antwerp Expo to claim the £35,000 top prize.

Wade’s championship run included a 6-0 victory over Danny Noppert in the quarter-finals and a 7-6 semi-final win against Gian van Veen. This victory significantly impacted Wade’s standing, propelling him up 22 positions in the European Tour Order of Merit from 31st to 9th, which effectively secured his qualification for the European Championship. Additionally, Wade overtook Michael van Gerwen in the global rankings to reach sixth place, while van Gerwen dropped to seventh.

Ross Smith maintained his lead at the top of the European Tour Order of Merit despite the final loss. Smith reached the championship match after surviving deciding legs against Ryan Joyce and Gian van Veen. During the tournament, Nathan Aspinall recorded the highest average with a score of 106.

The event was the 13th of 15 tournaments on the PDC European Tour, featuring a £230,000 prize pool. Earlier stages of the tournament were marked by upsets, such as Damon Heta’s 6-5 elimination of Michael van Gerwen and Jim Long’s 6-2 victory over Raymond van Barneveld.