By Brad Williams
We got underway this afternoon with the second World Series of Darts event of 2026, as the eight PDC representatives clashed with the eight Asian representatives in Saudi Arabia for the first-round matchups. Here’s what happened:
Danny Noppert vs Man Lok Leung
Result: Danny Noppert (81.25) 3-6 Man Lok Leung (88.70)
In the first game of the afternoon, it was Man Lok Leung who charged quickly out of the blocks, quickly breaking the throw of Noppert. He backed this up with a hold of throw in the following leg, as he pinned his second double in as many attempts. At that point in the game, Man Lok Leung was averaging around 110, as he won his third consecutive leg. Six missed darts from the Hong Kong international offered Danny Noppert a glimmer of hope, as he pinned double two to secure his first leg of the game.
‘The Freeze’ was began growing into the game as he bagged his second leg on the bounce, however it was Man Lok who managed to hold his nerve after a few missed attempts on the double, to go two legs clear once again of the Dutchman. Noppert’s poor scoring was a recurring theme of the game, as Man Lok Leung continuously punished him to cause the first upset of the night with a 6-3 victory. A stellar performance from the Hong Kong native as he booked his place in the quarterfinals.
Stephen Bunting vs Tomoya Goto
Result: Stephen Bunting (93.17) 6-1 Tomoya Goto (85.22)
Looking to avoid the second upset of the night, Stephen Bunting started the game strong, pinning tops at the first attempt, to secure a thirteen dart hold of throw. ‘The Bullet’ doubled his lead with a break of throw, keeping alive up his 100% record on the doubles- a welcome sight after his double troubles in Bahrain. Goto nearly secured his first leg of the contest by missing the double on a solid 110 checkout attempt, but it was Bunting who cleaned up the leg to increase his lead further.
More costly darts on the double from Tomoya Goto followed, as he missed five darts to get off the mark and was punished once again by Bunting. Goto finally got his leg, pinning the double tops that had eluded him for most of the contest, however it proved to be too little too late, as ‘The Bullet’ cleaned up the following leg to close out a routine 6-1 victory.
Nathan Aspinall vs Lourence Illagan
Result: Nathan Aspinall (100.93) 6-1 Lourence Illagan (81.12)
Two players who have become familiar with each other over the last month or so, as they clashed last week in Bahrain, and in the 2026 World Championship opening round, Aspinall looked to go 3-0 over Lourence Illagan in that period. The contest started quick for ‘The Asp’ as he raced into a 2-0 lead following back-to back fifteen dart legs.
Aspinall’s dominance continued over the next two legs as he denied Illagan any attempts on the double, going within two legs from victory. Lourence Illagan managed to get a leg on the board with his first attempt on the outer ring, taking out a 98, but any dreams of a comeback were quickly thwarted by ‘The Asp,’ who ended the match with an eleven-dart leg to advance to the next round.
Michael van Gerwen vs Nitin Kumar
Result: Michael van Gerwen (91.16) 6-1 Nitin Kumar (79.57)
Last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters winner MvG was up next as he welcomed short notice replacement and Ally Pally cult hero, Nitin Kumar back to the oche. It was Kumar who had opportunities to break the throw of MvG, missing four darts at the double, however it was the Dutchman who capitalised as he secured the opening leg. It was MvG’s turn to miss a big opportunity and be punished, as his wayward bull attempt was leaped on by Kumar who pinned double fourteen to level the match.
Nitin Kumar narrowly missed a double eight attempt to take the lead, but ‘Mighty Mike’ was the one who held his nerve this time, successfully holding his throw to retake the lead. MvG landed the first ton plus finish with a 102 to widen the gap. Despite opportunities in the opening three legs for Nitin Kumar, van Gerwen went through the gears in the second half of the contest, securing the 6-1 win in a professional performance, landing 6/10 of his double attempts along the way.
Luke Littler vs Paul Lim
Result: Luke Littler (89.13) 6-1 Paul Lim (82.66)
In another rematch from Bahrain last week, World Champion Luke Littler once again battled fan favourite Paul Lim, marking a matchup between the oldest and youngest players in the tournament. Littler started the better of the two, securing the first two legs with a pair of fourteen darters.
‘The Nuke’ did not allow the ‘The Singapore Slinger’ an attempt on the double until the fifth leg, when he successfully took out 96 with his third dart in hand to reduce the deficit to 4-1. Lim and Littler both missed darts sixth leg of the contest, as the world number one’s standard dipped in the latter stages. Lim failed to take advantage however, as ‘The Nuke’ finally closed out his second victory over Lim in the space of a week, with an identical scoreline of 6-1.
Gerwyn Price vs Alexis Toylo
Result: Gerwyn Price (100.20) 6-0 Alexis Toylo (80.21)
Gerwyn Price and Alexis Toylo were up next as Price saw out a steady start with a fifteen-dart break of throw. ‘The Iceman’ chased this up by going 2/2 on double tops. Ever the entertainer, Price continued his commanding start to the game with a spectacular 170 checkout, reeling in the first big fish of the evening, along with the loudest crowd reaction so far.
Toylo struggled to match the Welshman’s scoring, as a fourteen-dart leg took Gezzy one away from a comprehensive victory. Price wrapped up the dominant display with an impressive ton-plus average, whilst landing 60% of his doubles.
Luke Humphries vs Ryusei Azemoto
Result: Luke Humphries (94.80) 6-2 Ryusei Azemoto (83.55)
Ryusei Azemoto started off the game with with a solid hold of throw, pinning the double twenty, but it was not long before former World Champion Humphries got off the mark himself, despite some strong scoring from his opponent to put some pressure on. Humphries followed this up with the first break of the game, taking out double tops himself to take the lead.
Just as it looked like ‘Cool Hand’ was in the driver’s seat, Azemoto punished missed darts at the double to level up the contest at two legs apiece, before missing an opportunity to lead the contest, failing to checkout his remaining 51, before Humphries cleaned up the leg himself. Despite a spirited effort from Japan’s Azemoto, where he had a few chances on the doubles, Humphries had a bit too much quality, wrapping up a 6-2 win with a 96 checkout.
Gian van Veen vs Motomu Sakai
Result: Gian van Veen (94.29) 6-2 Motomu Sakai (84.69)
The final clash of the afternoon came as last week’s Bahrain Masters runner-up, Gian van Veen, welcomed back another Ally Pally hero, Motomu Sakai. A struggling start in the doubles for Dutchman, as he missed his opening four darts, however the fifth time proved to be the charm, as he held his throw in the opening leg. A break of throw then followed, with a more assured doubling display as ‘The Giant’ took out 98 to double his advantage. Van Veen narrowly missed the bull for a 167 finish, before Sakai himself missed double eighteen for a 116 out.
A couple more missed darts at the double from GvV allowed Sakai to get his first leg on the board after pinning double two. A 68 finish from ‘The Creature’ secured his second successive leg, as he continued to grow into the game. The Dutchman halted his momentum and once gave himself a two-leg cushion, before nailing double fourteen to put himself fully in control of the match. GvV ended the contest with double 18, to defeat the spirited Sakai, and set himself up an opportunity to avenge his 2026 World Championship final loss to Luke Littler in the quarterfinals.