Michael van Gerwen found a way through the chaos in Copenhagen, edging Luke Humphries 8-7 in a Nordic Darts Masters final that delivered drama, quality and a talking point the sport could have done without.
The Dutchman claimed his second Nordic Darts Masters crown at Forum Copenhagen on Saturday night, with Sky Sports reporting it as his 18th PDC World Series title. It was not a clean, front-running performance from Van Gerwen, but it was a reminder of one of his most valuable traits: when the match gets messy, he can still make the decisive visit count.
Humphries had the chance to win it in the deciding leg, but his bullseye attempt went the wrong side of the wire. Van Gerwen returned to take out 72, pinning double top to close out a final that had looked within Humphries’ reach more than once.
Humphries frustration gives final a sour edge
The match itself had enough to stand alone. Humphries led 3-1, Van Gerwen answered with four straight legs, and both men then traded breaks before the final went the distance. Yet the post-match discussion quickly shifted towards the crowd, after booing and whistling from a minority became a visible irritation during the closing stages.
Humphries, who had already beaten Luke Littler 7-5 in a high-class semi-final, did not hide his frustration afterwards. Speaking to ITV Sport, in comments carried by Sky Sports, he said: “It’s the whistling when you’re on doubles. It’s disappointing.”
He added that players are up there to entertain and win titles, but said the issue has become hard work, adding: “All the players are fed up with it now.”
That is the line which will resonate with plenty of fans. Darts thrives on noise, colour and a crowd that feels part of the night. But there is a difference between atmosphere and interference, and Copenhagen crossed that line often enough for the runner-up to make it the first thing many people will remember from the final.
Van Gerwen digs out another World Series title
For Van Gerwen, this was a title earned the awkward way. He had already survived a major scare in the quarter-finals, fighting back to beat Viktor Tingstrom 6-5 after the Swede missed a match dart. Tingstrom had been the local-region story of the weekend after knocking out defending champion Stephen Bunting in round one, but Van Gerwen stopped the run before beating Jonny Clayton 7-4 in the semi-finals.
Humphries’ route was just as demanding. He edged Gian van Veen 6-5 in the quarter-finals, then produced one of the performances of the night against Littler, averaging around 105 and landing a showpiece 132 checkout on his way to a 7-5 win. Littler had earlier looked comfortable in a 6-1 victory over James Wade, but Humphries got a measure of revenge after his Premier League final defeat.
Van Gerwen admitted afterwards it had been a difficult evening, saying the final was “a really tough game” and that Humphries had chances to move further clear early on. He also framed the win as a confidence boost after performances earlier in the event had not been at the level he wanted.
World Cup now comes quickly
The timing matters. The World Cup of Darts begins in Frankfurt from June 11-14, with England among the seeded nations and the sport’s biggest names quickly moving from World Series theatre into pairs pressure.
Van Gerwen will leave Denmark with another trophy and a stronger grip on the World Series conversation. Humphries leaves with a runner-up finish, a statement win over Littler, and a justified complaint that the sport should not ignore. The darts was good enough. The sideshow did not need to be there.
More darts coverage
- Viktor Tingstrom stuns Stephen Bunting in Nordic Darts Masters upset
- World Cup of Darts draw puts Littler and Humphries in the spotlight