World Series of Darts Finals 2026: Clayton beats Littler 10:4 and ends the historic major run
Jonny Clayton beats Luke Littler 10:4 at the World Series of Darts Finals 2026 and ends his major run. The dream of a Clean Sweep is over.
Amsterdam, 20 September 2026 – the run is over. Luke Littler suffered his first major defeat of the year at the World Series of Darts Finals 2026 at the AFAS Live: Jonny Clayton came through the quarter-final 10:4 and ended the world champion's streak of six major titles in a row. The dream of a Clean Sweep, winning every major within a single calendar year, is over.
Clayton turns the match around after the break
For a long time it looked like a tight contest. Littler went ahead twice, but Clayton kept answering and levelled at 3:3 before the break with a 136 finish.
The turning point came straight afterwards: the Welshman broke for 4:3 and never gave up the lead again. In the closing stages Clayton pulled away to 9:4 and closed out the win in style. It was no fluke, but the work of a player who punished the favourite's mistakes immediately.
Littler falls short on the Doubles
The reason for the early exit lay clearly on the Double beds. Littler hit just 4 of his 21 Double attempts – a rate of only 19.05 per cent. Again and again he kept Clayton in the match, and Clayton walked through every open door.
For the world champion it was an unusually error-strewn display on the big stage. In the second half of the match he never found a rhythm that would have allowed a comeback.
That brings one of the most remarkable runs in recent PDC history to an end. Littler had won six big titles back to back this year and came to Amsterdam as the clear favourite. In the second round he had already needed 10:9 to get past Nathan Aspinall – a warning sign that was confirmed on Sunday.
Price with the Big Fish, Van Veen with a 124 match finish
The other quarter-finals were top class too. Gerwyn Price beat James Wade 10:7 with an Average of 103 points and checked out the maximum with the Big Fish, the 170 finish. Gian van Veen saw off Dirk van Duijvenbode in front of a home crowd and ended the match with a 124 match finish. Ross Smith knocked out Josh Rock, throwing seven perfect darts and a 10-darter for the decisive break.
- Jonny Clayton 10:4 Luke Littler
- Gerwyn Price 10:7 James Wade – 103 Average, 170 Checkout
- Gian van Veen 10:8 Dirk van Duijvenbode – 124 match finish
- Ross Smith 10:7 Josh Rock – 10-darter for the break
The semi-final line-up
- Gian van Veen vs. Ross Smith
- Jonny Clayton vs. Gerwyn Price
Clayton now faces the all-Welsh duel with the highest stakes of the weekend, while Van Veen, the last Dutchman in the field, can count on home advantage at the AFAS Live.
Key facts, format and coverage
The World Series of Darts Finals 2026 are the twelfth edition of the tournament and run from 17 to 20 September at the AFAS Live in Amsterdam. The field holds 32 players and the prize fund is 450,000 pounds, with 100,000 pounds for the champion.
The first two rounds were played as Best of 11 Legs, the quarter-finals went over Best of 19 Legs, while the semi-finals and the final are decided over Best of 21 Legs.
- Thursday, 17.09. – first round, evening session
- Friday, 18.09. – first round, evening session
- Saturday, 19.09. – second round, afternoon and evening session
- Sunday, 20.09. – quarter-finals from 12:00 UK time (13:00 CEST), semi-finals and final in the evening
In the UK, ITV4 and ITVX show the tournament free to air, and PDCTV is also available on subscription.
What the defeat means for Littler
For Littler the exit is a bitter setback, but not the end of his season. The World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Championship are still to come, and he can confirm his dominance there. The historic Clean Sweep is no longer possible, but the run of six major titles in a row remains an exceptional achievement.
For Jonny Clayton, on the other hand, this Sunday is a release. The Welshman has stopped the dominant player of the year on the big stage – and is now just two wins away from the title in Amsterdam.