😀 The Dutch star produced a memorable display at AFAS Live, overcoming his rival Luke Littler in a thrilling final to extend his dominance at the event. It was his first PDC Premier success since winning the same title in 2023, adding to his earlier triumphs in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Van Gerwen survived match darts in dramatic last-leg wins over Wessel Nijman and Rob Cross to reach Finals Day, before storming past Luke Humphries, Josh Rock and Littler to scoop the £80, 000 prize. He averaged 106 in dispatching world number one Humphries, then won six of the last seven legs to beat Rock 11-6 in the semis. In the final – a repeat of January’s World Championship decider – Van Gerwen prevailed 11-7.

“I have goosebumps – it’s amazing to hold a trophy again, ” said an emotional Van Gerwen, who celebrated on stage with his daughter Zoe. “It means so much to win in front of my home crowd. I had to dig deep, but I still love what I do. Hopefully this is the start of a bright future.”

The final itself swung both ways. Littler hit back from 3-1 down with a ten-darter to level at 3-3, before Van Gerwen reeled off three straight legs to lead 6-3. Littler responded to tie it at 6-6, but Van Gerwen restored control, pulling clear to 10-7 and sealing the title with a superb 130 finish on double five.

Littler, who was chasing back-to-back PDC Premier titles for the first time, had impressed throughout the weekend. He beat Simon Whitlock and Jonny Clayton 6-4, averaged 107 in a classic quarter-final win over Ross Smith, then staged a stunning comeback to edge Gerwyn Price 11-10 after trailing 9-5.

“It was another good tournament for me, ” Littler reflected. “Michael was back to his best this weekend. If he keeps playing like that, we’ll have some great battles.”

Elsewhere, Price followed his victory over Raymond van Barneveld with another comeback against Chris Dobey, before bowing out to Littler in the semis. Josh Rock also impressed, seeing off Mike De Decker and Danny Noppert en route to the last four.

2025 World Series of Darts Finals
Sunday September 14
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Josh Rock 10-6 Mike De Decker
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Luke Humphries
Luke Littler 10-8 Ross Smith
Gerwyn Price 10-8 Chris Dobey

Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 11-6 Josh Rock
Luke Littler 11-10 Gerwyn Price

Final
Michael van Gerwen 11-7 Luke Littler

Rob Cross secured his fifth World Series of Darts title with a commanding performance at the TOTO Dutch Darts Masters on Saturday, defeating Stephen Bunting 8-5 in the Den Bosch final.  

Bouncing back in style from his first-round exit in Bahrain the previous week, Cross delivered a series of outstanding displays at De Maaspoort to claim the Toon Greebe Trophy.  

After overcoming Richard Veenstra on Friday, Cross continued his strong form with a quarter-final victory over another Dutchman, Jermaine Wattimena, hitting six doubles from eight attempts.  

The 2018 World Champion then averaged over 100 and landed 50% of his doubles in a dominant semi-final win against Gerwyn Price.  

In the final, Cross denied Bunting back-to-back World Series titles by securing an 8-5 victory over the Bahrain Darts Masters winner. He averaged nearly 102 and finished 8/15 doubles.  

Cross started strongly, racing into a 2-0 lead and extending his advantage with 13-dart legs to go 3-1 and 5-2 up. However, Bunting responded impressively, leveling the match with legs of 14, 12, and 12 darts, including checkouts of 62, 94, and 130.  

Undeterred, Cross regained control with a crucial double 18 checkout before sealing the title with two double-eight finishes, marking his first World Series victory in Europe.  

"It's amazing to come here and win – it’s special for me, " said Cross, last year’s US Darts Masters champion. "I think it’s about time I won in the Netherlands, and I’m very grateful. The crowd was brilliant, and my determination and focus got me through.  

"Stephen is a great player and a credit to the sport. He put in the work today but probably ran out of steam. To win this one means so much. It’s been a great weekend, and I love the World Series."  

Bunting impressed en route to his second consecutive World Series final, defeating two former World Champions. He edged past Raymond van Barneveld with a 13-darter in the quarter-finals before sealing victory over Luke Littler in the semi-finals with an 11-darter.  

"To reach two finals back-to-back is amazing, and it was a great final, " said Bunting. "Rob played really well and had me under pressure from the start.  

"If you’d told me at the start of the tournament that I’d be in the final, I’d have taken it. Credit to Rob. I’ll regroup and get ready for Milton Keynes next week.  

"I’m playing the best darts of my life, and with the support I have, both from fans and on social media, everything is in a great place. I can’t wait to continue my form in the World Masters."  

Littler had ended Michael van Gerwen’s title defense with a 6-3 quarter-final win, despite two 12-dart legs from the Dutchman.  

However, the newly crowned World Champion fell short of reaching another Den Bosch final as Bunting took out 130 in their semi-final decider, leaving Littler stranded after nine darts.

2025 TOTO Dutch Darts Masters
Saturday January 25
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Luke Littler 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Kevin Doets
Rob Cross 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena

Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 7-6 Luke Littler
Rob Cross 7-3 Gerwyn Price

Final
Rob Cross 8-5 Stephen Bunting

Luke Littler, a first-time competitor in the Jack's World Series of Darts Finals, won the championship in Amsterdam on Sunday by defeating Michael Smith 11-4 in the final. It was a surprising victory for Littler.

Luke Littler, a young professional, dominated the Jack's World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam. He won four titles in his first year, including stunning victories over Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith. Littler's consistent performance throughout the tournament, highlighted by his impressive averages and checkouts, showcased his exceptional talent and potential for future success.

2024 Jack's World Series of Darts Finals
Sunday September 15
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Luke Littler 10-7 Chris Dobey
Michael van Gerwen 10-9 Luke Humphries
Peter Wright 10-4 Daryl Gurney
Michael Smith 10-9 Rob Cross

Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Luke Littler 11-4 Michael van Gerwen
Michael Smith 11-6 Peter Wright

Final
Luke Littler 11-4 Michael Smith