The Asian Tour rolled into Singapore over the weekend, returning after a mid-season two-month break. With it being the fifth of seven weekends on the Tour, Singapore marks the point where the race to Alexandra Palace really begins to intensify.
Japanese pair Haruki Muramatsu and Motomu Sakai lead the 2026 Order of Merit coming into the weekend, followed by more World Cup stars in Man Lok Leung and Paolo Nebrida.
With only the top five securing their spots at December’s World Championship, it is that final spot that is surrounded by intrigue.
The place was occupied by 2023/24 Tour Card Holder Christian Perez at the start of the weekend, but he only had a $400 lead over Lok Yin Lee. After 16 of 28 events, there is still a lot to play for.
Event 17
The first event of the weekend really got going in the Last 32 phase, with Motomu Sakai, Aris Quijano and Louis Nazarene Lopez all firing in 100+ averages. With Tour leader Haruki Muramatsu falling short in the Last 16, Sakai made the most of the opportunity, winning his sixth Title, and second of the season, moving top of the World Championship Race.
This success meant that Motomu Sakai went level with Muramatsu and Asada as the second most successful Japanese player in Asia Tour history with six titles, just one behind Ryusei Azemoto. Considering his first win was only last year, this is an incredibly impressive feat for the new Ally Pally cult hero!
The story of the event though comes from Filipino Rolly Gabiana, who made his very first Semi-Final, with wins over the likes of Sho Okano and Lourence Ilagan. Seven years of circuit, Gabiana had previously never passed the Last 16. He went on to break that barrier again in the second event of the day, going out in the Quarter-Finals.
Quarter-Finals
Motomu Sakai (98.27) 4-2 Ryusei Azemoto (91.91)
Rolly Gabiana (84.78) 4-3 Lourence Ilagan (83.65)
Lok Yin Lee (83.08) 4-3 Yuya Fukuchi (85.11)
Man Lok Leung (86.16) 4-2 Alexis Toylo (86.94)
Semi-Finals
Motomu Sakai (91.97) 5-3 Rolly Gabiana (90.77)
Lok Yin Lee (95.14) 5-2 Man Lok Leung (94.06)
Final
Motomu Sakai (91.00) 5-2 Lok Yin Lee (89.28)
Event 18
Motomu Sakai continued his good form into the second event of the weekend, reaching the Semi-Finals to maintain his lead over Muramatsu, but was halted by a brilliant performance from Christian Perez.
The former ProTour Semi-Finalist produced a brilliant 102.09 average to defeat the Tour leader Motomu Sakai. He moved into the Final of Event 18, where he defeated his World Cup teammate from 2024 – Alexis Toylo – to claim his first Asian Tour Title in over 3 years.
This was a very important title, one which moved him away from the danger zone in the World Championship Race.
More ton-plus averages in the second event came from Yuta Hayashi and semi-finalists Christian de los Reyes.
Quarter-Finals
Motomu Sakai (95.42)) 4-1 Ryusei Azemoto (90.62)
Christian Perez (85.09) 4-3 Rolly Gabiana (76.13)
Christian de los Reyes (98.56) 4-0 Lok Yin Lee (79.15)
Alexis Toylo (80.19) 4-2 Man Lok Leung (82.27)
Semi-Finals
Christian Perez (102.09) 5-2 Motomu Sakai (91.45)
Alexis Toylo (92.36) 5-2 Chritian de los Reyes (84.25)
Final
Christian Perez (90.48) 5-1 Alexis Toylo (76.15)
Event 19
Sunday began with the third event of the weekend, which saw Motomu Sakai fall early in a surprising 4-1 defeat to Joel Hizon in the Last 16.
Hizon went on to make a Semi-Final for just the third time in his career, and first in over two years. Legend Paul Lim managed to reach the Quarter-Finals in his home nation too, his first in a difficult year.
The Final took place between Alexis Toylo and Christian Perez for the second event in a row, with Perez defying a 97+ average to win by the same scoreline as the previous event – 5-1.
It took Christian Perez over three years to return to winning ways on the Asian Tour, and then he followed up with a second Title in as many events. Back-to-back titles moved him up to second on the 2026 Order of Merit, putting his hopes for a World Championship return after 4 years in a very good position.
Quarter-Finals
Joel Hizon (75.84) 4-3 Ryusei Azemoto (82.30)
Alexis Toylo (91.17) 4-2 Yuta Hayashi (92.04)
Man Lok Leung (90.93) 4-2 Paolo Nebrida (84.19)
Christian Perez (93.94) 4-0 Paul Lim (73.29)
Semi-Finals
Alexis Toylo (80.81) 5-0 Joel Hizon (72.45)
Christian Perez (83.56) 5-4 Man Lok Leung (85.07)
Final
Christian Perez (94.42) 5-1 Alexis Toylo (97.06)
Event 20
The weekend rounded off with Event 20, which saw Lourence Ilagan fire in a brilliant 109.39 average in the Last 16, the highest average seen in Singapore over the weekend.
Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung followed this up with a 105.76 average himself in the Quarter-Finals, but it was Ilagan who went all the way to take the Title, beating out his former World Cup teammate Paolo Nebrida in the process.
An important Title for Lourence Ilagan, formerly a 3-time ranking winner on the Asian Tour, with 16 titles to his name, but he was yet to pick one up in 2026, sat in 28th in the World Championship race prior to the action in Singapore.
He extends his record of the most Asian Tour Titles to 16, six clear of his compatriot Alexis Toylo in second.
Quarter-Finals
Yuya Fukuchi (85.11) 4-3 Mitsuhiko Tatsunami (81.28)
Lourence Ilagan (88.95) 4-2 Haruki Muramatsu (91.72)
Paolo Nebrida (98.83) 4-2 Man Lok Leung (93.73)
Christian Perez (89.73) 4-0 Ryuta Arihara (90.00)
Semi-Finals
Lourence Ilagan (84.98) 5-3 Yuya Fukuchi (87.54)
Paolo Nebrida (89.04) 5-4 Christian Perez (98.12)
Final
Lourence Ilagan (88.39) 5-4 Paolo Nebrida (85.35)
What this means?
Order of Merit | After Event 20/28
Motomu Sakai – $14,100*
Christian Perez – $13,850
Haruki Muramatsu – $13,050
Man Lok Leung – $11,900
Paolo Nebrida – $11,400
—-
Lok Lin Lee – $9,350
Ryuta Arihara – $7,600
Ryusei Azemoto – $7,500
Yuya Fukuchi – $7,400
Alexis Toylo – $7,200
Alain AbiAbi – $6,900
Lourence Ilagan – $5,500-
The top 5 to qualify for the World Championships- Up to 64 to qualify for the Asia Championship.
As it stands, Sakai leads the Steel Darts Japan Order of Merit, meaning he would qualify for the World Championship through that. If this is maintained, it means his spot through the Asian Tour would get passed down to sixth place.
The Asian Tour will return at the start of August in Manila, followed by its’ conclusion in Hainan in September, with the Asia Championship following directly after.
Images: PDC
