On Wednesday evening, Jurjen van der Velde faced off against Luke Humphries in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts.
Although the young Dutchman was clearly enjoying his time on stage, Humphries pulled off something against him that many fans feel simply shouldn’t happen — as can be seen in the footage circulating online.
Whether Humphries would even appear at the oche had been uncertain earlier in the day. The world number one woke up with a painful neck injury and initially struggled to move at all. Yet during the match, he seemed barely affected. With superb form, he brushed aside Van der Velde, averaging an astonishing 108.55 and even finding time for some remarkable on-stage antics that drew plenty of attention.
Van der Velde, meanwhile, could only smile in disbelief at times at the brilliance being thrown his way. Still, the tournament had already been a success for the Dutchman. Speaking to reporter Arjan van der Giessen, he expressed his delight at having reached the knockout stages — an impressive milestone in itself. Even during his defeat, his joy and sportsmanship shone through.
A highlight came near the end of the match, when Van der Velde produced a spectacular 164 checkout, just before being eliminated. His passionate celebration captured the hearts of fans, who flooded social media with praise for his enthusiasm and positivity despite the impending loss.
You've got to love Jurjen van der Velde's reaction to his 164 checkout when on the brink of defeat 🤣 pic.twitter.com/XjRi4rp63G
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) November 12, 2025
Three Dutch players remain in the competition. Michael van Gerwen and Danny Noppert are set to face each other, while Wessel Nijman will take on Luke Littler in another tough clash.
Those matches will be played on Thursday evening, followed by the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday night. The semifinals and final will conclude the tournament on Sunday.