Michael van Gerwen ended 12 months without success on the PDC European Tour with a superb triumph in the 2023 Blåkläder Belgian Darts Open on Sunday night, defeating Luke Humphries 8-6 in the final.
The Dutchman has dominated the European Tour stage in the past decade with 35 tournament wins, but had seen the last of those come in May 2022.
However, he made amends in style to scoop the £30,000 top prize in front of a sell-out Belgian crowd at the Oktoberhallen.
A significant Sunday night saw Van Gerwen avenge his recent semi-final whitewash to Josh Rock at the Austrian Darts Open with a brilliant 7-3 win when they met once more in the last four.
Van Gerwen also saw off Martin Schindler in a dramatic third round contest on Sunday afternoon which went to a deciding leg, before powering past Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals.
The final saw Van Gerwen surge to victory from 5-4 down with three successive legs to take command before pinning double 16 to ensure a memorable success.
The final's opening ten legs all went with throw, with Humphries twice missed chances to break and also agonisingly missing double 12 for a nine-darter in leg six - returning to take that leg in ten darts.
Van Gerwen followed up a 129 checkout in leg ten with the first break in the next, stepping on on double 16 after Humphries missed double six.
Two further misses from Humphries were punished as Van Gerwen moved 7-5 up, and though a missed match dart allowed the world number six to keep the tie alive, his rival closed out victory on double 16.
The defeat for Humphries was his third in a European Tour final this year, having lost out twice previously to Dave Chisnall.
He edged out Belgium's Andy Baetens in a thrilling third round tie to open Sunday's action, and after seeing off Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals he survived a missed match dart from Dirk van Duijvenbode in a high-quality semi-final.
Van Duijvenbode was denied a spot in his second European Tour final of the year in agonising fashion, missing one match dart for a 7-5 win before Humphries took out 81 on the bull in the deciding leg.
The Dutchman had proven too clinical for Canada's Matt Campbell and Wales' Jonny Clayton earlier in the day as he secured a spot in a third semi-final of the 2023 European Tour.
Rock performed superbly in his wins over reigning champion Chisnall and World Champion Michael Smith to book his spot in a second European Tour semi-final of the year, only for Van Gerwen to avenge his loss a fortnight ago.
Scottish star Anderson was a quarter-finalist in his second event after returning to the European Tour, defeating Rob Cross in round three before losing out to Van Gerwen.
Chisnall's title defence was ended by Rock as he succumbed to a 104 average from the Northern Irish youngster in Sunday afternoon's third round, shattering the Englishman's hopes of a third European Tour win of 2023.
Belgian Darts Open: Draw & tournament bracket
FINAL
- Michael van Gerwen (3) 8-6 Luke Humphries (1)
SEMI-FINALS
- Luke Humphries (1) 7-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode (5)
- Michael van Gerwen (3) 7-3 Josh Rock (15)
QUARTER-FINALS
- Luke Humphries (1) 6-2 Nathan Aspinall (8)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode (5) 6-4 Jonny Clayton (13)
- Josh Rock (15) 6-1 Michael Smith (7)
- Michael van Gerwen (3) 6-1 Gary Anderson
ROUND THREE
- Luke Humphries (1) 6-5 Andy Baetens (16)
- Nathan Aspinall (8) 6-4 Danny Noppert
- Damon Heta (4) 3-6 Jonny Clayton (13)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode (5) 6-3 Matt Campbell
- Dave Chisnall (2) 4-6 Josh Rock (15)
- Michael Smith (7) 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
- Michael van Gerwen (3) 6-5 Martin Schindler (14)
- Rob Cross (6) 2-6 Gary Anderson
ROUND TWO
- Luke Humphries (1) 6-5 Bradley Brooks
- Andrew Gilding (16) 2-6 Andy Baetens
- Nathan Aspinall (8) 6-1 Martijn Kleermaker
- Danny Noppert (9) 6-4 Ted Evetts
- Damon Heta (4) 6-3 Damian Mol
- Jonny Clayton (13) 6-3 Keane Barry
- Dirk van Duijvenbode (5) 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
- Joe Cullen (12) 3-6 Matt Campbell
- Dave Chisnall (2) 6-2 Ricky Evans
- Josh Rock (15) 6-2 Chris Dobey
- Michael Smith (7) 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Peter Wright (10) 5-6 Gabriel Clemens
- Michael van Gerwen (3) 6-5 Jose De Sousa
- Martin Schindler (14) 6-1 Daryl Gurney
- Rob Cross (6) 6-4 Stefan Bellmont
- Ryan Searle (11) 2-6 Gary Anderson
Belgian Darts Open: Schedule & results
Friday May 5
First Round
Afternoon session (1200 BST)
- Bradley Brooks 6-3 Richard Veenstra
- Dennis Nilsson 2-6 Ted Evetts
- Jeff Smith 5-6 Damian Mol
- Sven Hilling 1-6 Keane Barry
- Gabriel Clemens 6-0 Graham Usher
- Francois Schweyen 3-6 Jose De Sousa
- Robert Owen 4-6 Stefan Bellmont
- Jermaine Wattimena 3-6 Andy Baetens
Evening session (1800 BST)
- Callan Rydz 3-6 Matt Campbell
- Daryl Gurney 6-3 Dylan Slevin
- Martijn Kleermaker 6-4 Ross Smith
- Gary Anderson 6-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
- James Wade 3-6 Raymond van Barneveld
- Kim Huybrechts 0-6 Ricky Evans
- Dalibor Smolik 3-6 Chris Dobey
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-1 Ian White
Saturday May 6
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1200 BST)
- Andrew Gilding 2-6 Andy Baetens
- Rob Cross 6-4 Stefan Bellmont
- Joe Cullen 3-6 Matt Campbell
- Danny Noppert 6-4 Ted Evetts
- Damon Heta 6-3 Damian Mol
- Martin Schindler 6-1 Daryl Gurney
- Ryan Searle 2-6 Gary Anderson
- Jonny Clayton 6-3 Keane Barry
Evening Session (1800 BST)
- Nathan Aspinall 6-1 Martijn Kleermaker
- Luke Humphries 6-5 Bradley Brooks
- Dave Chisnall 6-2 Ricky Evans
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
- Peter Wright 5-6 Gabriel Clemens
- Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Jose de Sousa
- Michael Smith 6-2 Dimitri Van den Berghhite
- Josh Rock 6-2 Chris Dobey
Sunday May 7
Third Round
Afternoon Session (1200 BST)
- Luke Humphries 6-5 Andy Baetens
- Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Danny Noppert
- Jonny Clayton 6-3 Damon Heta
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Matt Campbell
- Josh Rock 6-4 Dave Chisnall
- Michael Smith 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
- Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Martin Schindler
- Gary Anderson 6-2 Rob Cross
Evening Session (1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
- Luke Humphries 6-2 Nathan Aspinall
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Jonny Clayton
- Josh Rock 6-1 Michael Smith
- Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Gary Anderson
Semi-finals
- Luke Humphries 7-6 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Michael van Gerwen 7-3 Josh Rock
Final
- Michael van Gerwen 8-6 Luke Humphries