Cross ends the wait for maiden European Tour title and seals World Cup place at the same time.

At the Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, Rob Cross celebrated his first success on the European Tour on the action-packed final day, which ended in a thrilling 8-6 victory over Luke Humphries in the championship match on Sunday.

Cross, a two-time European Champion, had astonishingly lost each of his previous seven European Tour final matches, but he snapped his losing streak at the Glaspalast and won the £30,000 top prize.

Cross was defeated by Humphries in three 2022 European Tour finals, including the European Darts Grand Prix. The two faced off again to decide who would play alongside Michael Smith for England in this year’s World Cup of Darts.

Humphries needed to hold onto the title in order to qualify for his Pairs tournament debut because Cross had a £17,500 advantage against him when they met in Sindelfingen for the PDC Order of Merit.

Cross, though, put on a professional performance to win in Sindelfingen, defeating Humphries’ 104 average to win a second championship in as many days.

“I’m just so glad that I’ve won a European Tour title. I’ve been striving to win one of these for six years,” said Cross – a winner at Players Championship 11 last Saturday.

“I have got that monkey off my back now. I’ve been playing well for a little while, so I can move forward now.

“I’m playing some of the best darts I’ve ever played. I’m also probably the happiest I’ve been in life for quite a while, and that’s really important for me. I’m in a really good place.

“I’m happy to be at the World Cup. I wanted to be there, but so did Luke, so commiserations to him. What a player he is. He’s quality.”

Cross began Finals Day with a 6-3 triumph over Scottish veteran Ross Montgomery, then converted two ton-plus finishes to defeat Krzysztof Ratajski in the last eight.

Cross then defeated Ross Smith in a battle of European Champions in the semi-finals, average 101 to win 7-4 and set up a mouth-watering confrontation against Humphries.

The first four legs of Sunday’s final were throw, before Cross delivered the first blow with a brilliant ten-dart break in leg five.

Cross regained the momentum in leg nine with a clinical 100 kill after Humphries completed a two-dart 86 combo for an instant riposte.

The former World Champion increased his lead to 6-4 in a crucial tenth leg in which Humphries squandered three darts at double to tie the game at five apiece, which proved decisive.

Humphries kept his hopes alive by holding 11 and 13 darts to cut the deficit to 6-7, but Cross sealed the deal with a nerveless 72 finish on double 18, after Humphries had missed the bull for a 167-skin saver.

 

“It hurts. I’m devastated, but I will bounce back,” insisted Humphries, who has lost in four European Tour finals in 2023.

“This is probably one of the toughest defeats of my career. There is no other player who wants to put on that England shirt more than me.

“I’m trying my best to win these tournaments. There was a lot on the line there and I showed a lot of bottle to give it a good go, but fair play to Rob, it was a fantastic performance from him.”

 

Humphries won 6-2 against five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld on Sunday, before averaging 109 to upset Gian van Veen in an intense quarter-final match.

The 28-year-old resumed his assault in the semi-finals, defeating Australia’s number one Damon Heta 7-5 to advance to yet another big stage final.

Heta, a European Tour winner in Gibraltar last year, scored deciding-leg victories over Joe Cullen and Martin Schindler to reach his second straight European Tour semi-final.

Meanwhile, European Champion Smith defeated Daryl Gurney before advancing to the semi-finals against Nathan Aspinall, who missed double 12 for a nine-darter in the decider.

Aspinall exited the tournament in the last eight alongside local favourite Schindler, who won the second round against his compatriot Gabriel Clemens and the last 16 against Gerwyn Price.

Van Veen, a Dutch youth, advanced to his first European Tour quarter-final, while Ratajski was defeated by Cross in their quarter-final duel.

The PDC European Tour returns to Trier from June 30 to July 2 with the Interwetten European Darts Matchplay, a £175,000 event featuring 48 players over three days.

 

2023 Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix

Sunday May 28

Afternoon Session

Third Round

Luke Humphries 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld

Gian van Veen 6-3 Josh Rock

Damon Heta 6-5 Joe Cullen

Martin Schindler 6-5 Gerwyn Price

Ross Smith 6-4 Daryl Gurney

Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Madars Razma

Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Dave Chisnall

Rob Cross 6-3 Ross Montgomery

Evening Session

Quarter-Finals

Luke Humphries 6-4 Gian van Veen

Damon Heta 6-5 Martin Schindler

Ross Smith 6-5 Nathan Aspinall

Rob Cross 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski

Semi-Finals

Luke Humphries 7-5 Damon Heta

Rob Cross 7-4 Ross Smith

Final

Rob Cross 8-6 Luke Humphries