Michael van Gerwen insisted the result was all that mattered after recovering from 3-1 down to beat James Hurrell 6-4 and reach the last 16 of the 2026 Hungarian Darts Trophy in Budapest. The Dutchman, who has slipped to seventh in the world rankings, was pushed hard by Hurrell, who played with a torn biceps and threatened a major upset.
Hurrell broke the Van Gerwen throw and fired in two 180s during a 12-darter to establish a two-leg advantage. He then missed the bull for the chance to move 4-1 ahead, allowing Van Gerwen to stop the run and begin turning the match around. A costly mistake followed from Hurrell at 3-2, as he bust his score with 15 remaining, allowing Van Gerwen to level on double five.
Van Gerwen then moved 4-3 ahead on double 18, but Hurrell responded with a 14-darter to restore parity. A 76 checkout put Van Gerwen within one of victory before two 180s in the tenth leg helped him complete the 6-4 win. Refusing to underestimate his injured opponent, Van Gerwen said: “I know a lot of people who have played with injuries. I’ve played with injuries myself. Sometimes, when things are clicking, you can still put on a very good performance, so you always need to be aware.”
Van Gerwen was equally clear about his own level after needing to recover from the early deficit. “Of course, I could have done a little bit more here and there, but there’s still a long day to go tomorrow.” He had spent some time away with his family before returning to competition, but rejected the idea that needing time to rediscover his rhythm should matter. “Of course it can, but it doesn’t really matter where you play. As long as you win, the only thing that matters is winning. No one remembers losers. They only remember winners. It’s as simple as that.”
Van Gerwen has previously won on the European Tour in Budapest and received another strong reception from the Hungarian crowd on Saturday night. “If you look at this crowd, look at this venue, the amount of people here and everything, it gives me goosebumps,” he said. He also praised the work behind the event, highlighting both PDC Europe and the local organisers in Budapest. “It’s not only the hospitality, it’s the organisation behind it as well. Of course, we have PDC Europe, but the guys over here in Budapest are doing a great job. If you look at the facilities and everything, everything is great. But more importantly, we’re all trying to put on a good show. We can’t do that without this crowd.” Van Gerwen will return on Sunday against Nathan Aspinall after the Englishman beat Ryan Joyce 6-4 in Saturday evening’s second round.
