The finals session in Amsterdam is fast approaching, and it’s one that just got a lot more intriguing. For the first time since the 2024 European Championships, neither of Luke Littler or Luke Humphries are in the Semi-Finals of a major TV tournament, ending a run of 17 consecutive majors.
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Clayton’s win over Luke Littler means the Nuke won’t write history with a clean-sweep of the majors in 2026, also likely ending his race to the Players Championship Finals in November.
Smith v. van Veen
The first Semi-Final will see the in-form Ross Smith take on the highest ranked player left, World #3 Gian van Veen.
“Smudger” comes into the session preparing for a first Semi-Final in a premier event for almost two years, in the 2024 Players Championship Finals. A win would secure a first final since he won the European Championships back in 2022!
Smith is in the form of his career, and there is no doubt about that. A run to the Quarter-Finals at the World Matchplay in July, but also multiple European Tour Titles in 2026, reaching the final of four of the twelve events!
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Gian van Veen on the other hand has reached plenty of finals of late, including the World Cup and World Championships in 2026, but can’t seem to get over the line. This will be a fourth major Semi-Final of the year, having lost in the World Masters and World Matchplay earlier in 2026. The Dutchman is also searching for a first major title other than the European Championships, with that success coming last year.
The head-to-head between the pair in intriguing, with Ross Smith winning five of their nine meetings, including the last two with both coming on the European Tour. Gian van Veen’s last win against Smudger came just over a year ago in a Players Championship Quarter-Final.
The pair have met twice on a major stage, with Smith winning both. These meetings came at the Last 64 stage of the 2022 Players Championships Finals, where Smith went on to make the final, and in the first round of the 2024 World Grand Prix.
Welsh Darts Dragon Rumble Again: Price v. Clayton
The Welsh pair meet once again in a high-profile televised match, but both are looking for a first major title in a long time.
The encounter will incredibly be a tenth major Semi-Final for Gerwyn Price in the last fourteen major events, and a fifth of the year out of six, having not entered the World Cup. It is often this stage that stumps him however, only winning two of his previous nine, reaching the final of the World Cup in 2025 and the World Matchplay in July.
For the Iceman’s last title however, this dates back to the 2023 World Cup, and a last singles title goes back to the World Series of Darts Finals in 2022! With no Littler or Humphries in the event, he will be desperate to end a four-year slump on the major scene.
Jonny Clayton will take on his fellow Welshman in a second Major Semi-Final of the year, having lost out to Littler in a deciding leg at the Premier League play-offs. The Welsh #2 has reached major finals lately, including the 2025 World Masters and World Cup, but his last major title came with Gerwyn Price at the 2023 World Cup. In terms of singles titles, the Ferrett hasn’t won one since his dominant year in 2021, where he won the Masters, Grand Prix, Premier League and World Series Finals. He will be searching for a first title in five years tonight!
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While it is already confirmed that one Welshman will be in tonight’s final, it is a very tough call as to who. Price has dominated the majority of the head-to-head, winning 29 of the 44 meetings, but it has been much closer of late. Clayton has won four of their last six meetings, including the last three consecutively, having lost ten in a row between April 2023 and February 2026.
Their last meeting on a major stage came at the UK Open in March, with Price winning the Quarter-Final encounter, as well as their World Masters Last 16 match in January.
Gerwyn Price actually has a record of five consecutive wins over Jonny Clayton in majors (including only the finals night in the Premier League), with Jonny’s last win coming in the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 Masters!
The session begins at 6pm BST, with the final kicking off around 8:30.
Images: PDC
