The 2026 Paddy Power World Championship is already assembling a catalogue of encounters so drenched in drama, volatility and tungsten-fuelled theatre that future generations may well recount them in hushed, reverential tones.
And lodged firmly near the summit of that swelling anthology now sits a contest that began as a presumed procession, before transfiguring – magnificently – into a full-blooded Ally Pally epic, as Luke Humphries, gliding in near-total cruise control, was forced to summon his champion’s resolve to repel a thunderous late uprising from Gabriel Clemens, and in doing so, secure his passage into the last 16.
For Humphries, the task appeared straightforward. For Clemens, it was destiny knocking with steel-tipped insistence. If Cool Hand Luke had whispered to Santa for a genuine examination beneath the Alexandra Palace lights, then the big man delivered in the form of a resurgent German colossus determined to test every ounce of nerve, nerve ending and tungsten temperament.
Ahead of the tournament, the English press, of course, arrived intoxicated by the cult of the two Luke’s – overwhelmingly favouring the teenage wonder. Meanwhile, across Germany, eyes were soon turning to their former number one, Gabriel Clemens. Was this the beginning of a second coming, or merely a fleeting afterglow following wins over Alex Spellman and Wessel Nijman?
The opening set offered the first omen. Clemens struck first, took the opening leg with throw, and found himself staring at a moment that demanded ruthlessness. Humphries was misfiring, the engine cold, the gears yet to mesh. Against elite opposition, these windows are fleeting. Clemens failed to climb through. Even then, the sense of impending regret lingered like a bad smell.
After the first interval, prophecy arrived swiftly. Humphries detonated. The turbo engaged. Advantage doubled within the blink of an eye, his average threatening the 110 mark as the German found himself pinned back, absorbing punishment. Then came set three – the pivot upon which the match turned.
Humphries surged into a two-leg lead, only for Clemens to rally magnificently and level. With throw in hand, the German stood at a crossroads: trail 2-1, or fall into the abyss at 3-0. He fell.Surely now it was done. Not if, but when. Except darts rarely respects certainty. With the axe hovering, Clemens erupted into life, obliterating set four with a monstrous 115.62 average. A consolation?
Only if repeated thrice. Against Humphries, that felt improbable. Yet improbability began to gather momentum. Set five was immaculate from both. Scoring thundered. Doubles held. And then – a theft. Clemens pinched the decider. 3-2.
The unthinkable stirred. The sixth arrived carrying unbearable tension. Three legs in and holding a slender lead, the German found himself with a golden chance to condemn Cool Hand’s 3-0 set lead to a darting abyss. Opportunity spurned. Humphries punished. Leg five with the world number two to serve.
A few minutes later, the decorated Englishman found the finish. The celebration was primal, visceral, human – forged not from dominance, but from survival. Relief first. Jubilation second. A classic secured. Up next … Nathan Aspinall or Kevin Doets.
Up against German qualifier, Arno Merk, it was always a contest Michael van Gerwen was expected to win. History demanded it. Logic insisted upon it. And with the quiet, merciless inevitability that has defined so much of his career, win it he did – drawing the velvet curtain on the fairytale ascent of the surprise package from Deutschland.
Van Gerwen possesses a uniquely unnerving gift – the ability to post a ton average with the same casual indifference most mortals reserve for flicking on the kettle. Technically, the numbers fell a whisker shy of three figures, but the detail that truly mattered lay elsewhere. Fifty percent on the doubles. Surgical. Unsentimental. Terminal.
With all due respect to the German, for MVG returning after Christmas and being greeted by a qualifier for a place in the last 16 is the darting equivalent of discovering a belated present beneath the tree. Had the seedings obeyed expectation, this was meant to be Peter Wright. And given Van Gerwen’s public dismay at the Scot’s recent form, it is difficult to imagine Mighty Mike shedding too many tears at the alteration.
Merk, to his immense credit, played with courage and clarity. Against a lesser opponent, he would have dragged them deep into the night. A 90 average. Just under fifty percent on the outer ring. Respectable, robust, and deserving of applause. But darts, at this altitude, is merciless. And Arno had run headlong into a man who has conquered every peak the sport has to offer – many of them more than once.
The pursuit for the Dutch darting juggernaut now continues. World title number four beckons. Standing in the path of that ambition is a figure cut from equally formidable cloth – Gary Anderson, a man seeking to complete his own Ally Pally hat-trick.
Elsewhere, the Dutch prodigy continues his inexorable ascent. Gian van Veen once again justified his billing as third favourite for the crown, dispatching Madars Razma with composed authority. The opening set was measured. The second sharper. By the third, perfection reigned on the outer ring and the end seemed nigh.
Then came a brief blackout – a momentary lapse, a mid-match nap – which the Latvian seized without hesitation. Hope flickered. But it died swiftly. Someone reconnected the power. Five minutes later, it was over.
Aside from that fleeting indulgence, van Veen was calm, controlled, and chillingly efficient. He did precisely what was required. No more. No less. And with plenty left in reserve ready for whichever Englishman comes through out of Ricky Evans versus Charlie Manby.
SUNDAY 28th DECEMBER – Evening Session Report Round
Gian van Veen 4-1 Madars Razma
Luke Humphries 4-2 Gabriel Clemens
Michael van Gerwen 4-1 Arno Merk
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Images: PDC
