Cool Hand Luke Humphries calmly and efficiently strolled into the quarter-finals of the 2026 PDC Paddy Power World Championship with the kind of ice-cold efficiency that barely disturbs the air around it, calmly dissecting Kevin Doets in a performance built on precision, patience and quiet menace.
It was Hawkeye who initially struck first, flying out of the traps to steal the opening set, even as Humphries was also hitting the high notes. But once the early formalities were complete, the gravitational pull of the former world champion became unavoidable. Doets blinked. Humphries did not.
The contest was swiftly levelled and from there, the hinge moment revealed itself.Set three. Leg three. Doets had his chance. A golden window to break the Humphries throw, to hold, and to wrestle back control in a set he would have started. He missed. Cool Hand didn’t. That single leg swung the entire match on its axis. Humphries claimed it, pinched the Dutchman’s darts immediately after, and suddenly surged into a 3–1 lead that felt terminal.
From that point on, resistance evaporated. Humphries cruised home without further concession, sending Hawkeye packing with his wings clipped and his Ally Pally adventure concluded.
Before that, the Palace braced itself for what looked like box-office inevitability. Two former world champions. Five world titles between them. A rivalry etched into modern darting folklore. Michael van Gerwen versus Gary Anderson. We were promised fire. We expected thunder. A seven-set epic. Perhaps even a tiebreak shootout.
Instead, we got something else entirely.The opening set did flirt with drama. Van Gerwen, throwing second, had an early sniff at a break and then stood on the brink at 2–1, only to miss vital doubles and allow Anderson to sweep in and steal it.
The second followed a similar pattern, again going the distance, but this time punctuated by a perfectly judged 78 checkout from the Musselburgh maestro. Two-nil. Halfway home.Mighty Mike responded as only he can, unleashing a turbo-charged third set with a staggering 116.51 average to get on the board. For a fleeting moment, the temperature rose.
But Anderson answered immediately, slamming the accelerator himself and racing into a 3–1 lead. From there, the outcome felt inevitable. The Flying Scotsman had lift-off clearance and never looked back. Next up for Ando? Somerset’s folk hero, Justin Hood. Fairytale meets legend.
Rewind further still and the opening act belonged to the boy who would be king. Gian van Veen continued his serene ascent, ending the dream run of Yorkshire’s Charlie Manby with a performance soaked in maturity well beyond his years.
Manby arrived already living the dream, now staring down the chance of a World Championship quarter-final. The early exchanges were measured. Respectful. Both men holding throw, Manby perhaps the steadier of the two. But after the second interval, Van Veen flicked the switch.
The third set was seized with clinical authority.In the fourth, the Dutchman dipped slightly. The Huddersfield lad dipped more. Three-one Van Veen. Set five became a test of nerve. Manby surged into a 2–0 lead and suddenly belief surged through the Palace. Carefree darts followed. The set was levelled.
But Van Veen never panicked. Never rushed. He knew the equation. Hold throw and it’s done. He did exactly that.Which leaves us with something tantalising. Something delicious.
A potential Ally Pally classic between two former PDC World Youth Champions. One who has already conquered the sport’s highest peak. The other who looks destined to do so sooner rather than later. Luke Humphries versus Gian van Veen. Clear the diary. Cancel the plans. Do not miss that.
Alexandra Palace now falls silent as the darting world pauses to usher in 2026. On New Year’s Day, the lights blaze back on and the quarter-finals await.
TUESDAY 30th DECEMBER Evening Session Report
Round Four
Charlie Manby 1-4 Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen 1-4 Gary Anderson
Luke Humphries 4-1 Kevin Doets
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
