Swiss Darts Trophy tournament in Basel

The 2026 Swiss Darts Trophy began at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel as part of the PDC European Tour. The tournament opened with several high-profile withdrawals, including Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall, and Ryan Joyce, which allowed players such as Karel Sedlacek and Nick Kenny to enter the main draw.

As the competition progressed, several notable results shaped the field. Mensur Suljovic secured a 6-4 upset against Michael van Gerwen, highlighted by an early 138 checkout. Gian van Veen delivered a dominant 6-0 performance against Niko Springer in under ten minutes, featuring a 164 checkout on the bullseye. While Luke Humphries advanced to the round of 16 following a narrow win over Kevin Doets, defending champion Stephen Bunting and James Wade were eliminated.

In the Saturday afternoon sessions, former world champion Rob Cross and 2023 world champion Michael Smith both secured victories to advance to the round of 16. Cross defeated Luke Woodhouse 6-4, utilizing a 14-dart finish to stop a comeback attempt. Smith recorded a high average of 102.65 in his 6-4 win over Jermaine Wattimena, using significant checkouts of 116 and 124 to control the match during his first European Tour appearance in five months.

Luke Humphries, the recent World Grand Prix champion, further progressed by securing a place in the final day after a 6-5 victory over Kevin Doets. Despite an early 3-0 lead supported by 122 and 121 finishes, Humphries had to withstand a comeback from Doets, who averaged 105.64. Humphries averaged nearly 103 and converted 67 percent of his doubles to win the deciding eleventh leg. His advancement occurred during a day of significant upsets at the St. Jakobshalle, which saw ten seeded players eliminated.