World Series of Darts Finals: Luke Littler dethroned by Michael van Gerwen in Amsterdam
Luke Littler fought hard to retain his World Series of Darts Finals title, producing a thrilling comeback against Gerwyn Price to qualify for the final, but Michael van Gerwen had too much for him in the tournament showpiece winning 11-7 in the final
Monday 15 September 2025 11:22, UK
An emotional Michael van Gerwen expressed hope that winning his first top-level title for two years is "the beginning of a bright future for me" after he defeated Luke Littler to win the World Series of Darts Finals on home soil in Amsterdam.
Van Gerwen prevailed in front of a partisan crowd in the Dutch capital, winning 11-7 in the final and securing the title with a 130 checkout to seal a break in the final leg.
"This is amazing," said Van Gerwen after the match. "We all know where I am coming from and the difficulty I have had in the last few months. To do this in front of your home crowd it means a lot to me.
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"To do this in front of your home crowd is nice, but I was also playing some nice darts. That gives you energy and joy. I'm really glad I could perform like this.
"I've never been away! I needed to dig really deep to do this. This took a lot of energy.
"I still love what I do, people need to understand. I love to play, whether that be Holland, England, Germany. It means the world to me.
"Hopefully this is the beginning of a bright future for me."
Defending champion Littler, magnanimous in defeat, admitted he was delighted to see Van Gerwen performing at his best once again.
"It's good to see him back," he told ITV. "I'm having a good battle with him."
Van Gerwen overcame world No 1 Luke Humphries 10-5 in his quarter-final clash before dispensing with Josh Rock 11-6 in the semi-finals so the Dutchman, who has faced a challenging year away from the sport, entered the showpiece full of confidence.
Littler, meanwhile, made life difficult for himself at almost every stage of the tournament and none more so, than in the semi-final where he needed an epic comeback to beat Gerwyn Price.
'The Nuke' was down 9-5 but then won five straight legs, just as he did against Jonny Clayton on Saturday, before the Welshman forced a decider. Littler, though, showed why he is most box office draw in the sport, producing back-to-back 180s from Littler in the deciding leg before finishing on D5 after Price missed a shot at tops.
Littler didn't have it easy against Ross Smith either, progressing 10-8 against the former European Championship winner at the quarter-final stage where Price had beaten Chris Dobey by the same scoreline.
In the final, Littler recorded the higher average across the opening five legs but Van Gerwen took a 3-2 lead into the first interval, nailing a pressure shot at tops to ensure he did so.
Littler levelled straight after the break but MVG reeled off three straight legs to take command in the final, in front of a raucous crowd in the Dutch capital, before Littler did likewise in what was proving to be a proper ding-dong battle between one of the all-time legends of the sport and the ultimate young entertainer at the oche.
The next shift in momentum proved pivotal though, as Littler appeared to be put off with a shout or a whistle that came from the crowd as he fell 7-6 behind and Van Gerwen followed that up with a vital break and managed to hold throw from there before his 130 checkout provided a memorable finish.
Sunday's afternoon results
Quarter-final results
- Josh Rock 10-6 Mike De Decker
- Luke Humphries 5-10 Michael van Gerwen
- Luke Littler 10-8 Ross Smith
- Gerwyn Price 10-8 Chris Dobey
Sunday's evening results
Semi-final results
- Josh Rock 6-11 Michael van Gerwen
- Luke Littler 11-10 Gerwyn Price
Final - result:
- Michael van Gerwen 11-7 Luke Littler
Live darts is back on Sky Sports from October 6-12 as the BoyleSports World Grand Prix is held in Leicester.
