Huybrechts wins on late call-up as Woodhouse hits nine-darter at European Championship

Humphries out, Huybrechts in

Luke Humphries, the world number two, withdrew from the European Championship in Germany with gastroenteritis. He had come into the event after winning the World Grand Prix and reaching the final of the Swiss Darts Trophy, which he lost to Jonny Clayton. Kim Huybrechts took his place as the best-placed player not yet qualified in the 2026 European Tour rankings. The PDC set out the replacement process in a statement.

Under PDC rules, Humphries will be directly replaced in the field by Kim Huybrechts, the highest-ranked non-qualified player in the 2026 European Tour rankings.

Huybrechts was at home in Antwerp when the call came on Thursday morning, 22 October, offering him a place in the tournament. He was set to face Ryan Searle that Thursday evening.

Huybrechts' six-hour round trip

Huybrechts set off for Dortmund in the afternoon on a three-hour drive, and he had booked no hotel because Friday was free. He then beat Ryan Searle 6-1, throwing six 180s and averaging 103.81. He drove home into the early hours of Friday, 23 October, and said he would settle his plans on Friday. He described the day as calm and relaxed with no pressure, and said he normally travels to a venue the day before, so the three-hour trip on the day was new to him.

Woodhouse and the nine-darter

Luke Woodhouse opened the tournament with a nine-darter in the fourth leg of his first-round match against Dirk van Duijvenbode in Dortmund. He pinned successive 180s and then checked out 141 for his first nine-darter on television. It was the first perfect leg at the European Championship since José de Sousa in 2020, and the fifth overall. Van Duijvenbode had survived an early break in the second leg, but Woodhouse broke him in the fourth and kept control to finish on the bullseye, winning 6-3. Woodhouse described the moment:

It felt really comfortable doing it, and after the treble 19 I felt like it was going to be the double 12.

He added that he had expected a rush of adrenaline but stayed composed, and that the win mattered more to him than the feat.

Dutch players and Menzies

Gian van Veen, the 24-year-old defending champion, beat Andrew Gilding 6-4 after leading 2-0 and then losing three legs in a row. He had reached the semi-final in Maastricht the weekend before, a tournament that Niels Zonneveld won. Danny Noppert lost 6-5 to Stephen Bunting, while Zonneveld, a week after his Maastricht title, lost 6-3 to Cameron Menzies on his European Championship debut. After winning his first-round match, Menzies said:

I want a conversation and not to talk about these obstacles.

The 37-year-old Scot is still haunted by punching a table at last year's World Championship, where he lost to Charles Manby in the first round and needed treatment for hand injuries. He also collapsed on stage at the World Matchplay in July after suffering from dehydration.

Bunting, Heta and the weekend ahead

Stephen Bunting was heading for an early exit before a 160 checkout gave him a 6-5 win over Danny Noppert. Damon Heta survived two match darts against James Wade to win another last-leg decider 6-5. Luke Littler, the world number one and PDC world champion, opens against William O'Connor on Friday night, 23 October, likely before a partisan German crowd. The European Championship is the only major title missing from his record after a prolific two years on tour, and Humphries' absence could help his bid. The 32-player event runs as a knockout, with the second round and quarter-finals across the weekend and the semi-finals and final on Sunday. The PDC said the winner of the Huybrechts and Searle match would face Noppert or Bunting on Saturday.