Ross Smith secures maiden European Tour title at the International Darts Open

Ross Smith sealed his first European Tour title at the 2026 International Darts Open with an 8-3 victory over Ryan Searle in the final in Riesa on Sunday.

The former European Champion had lost in all four previous European Tour final appearances since 2024, but finally went a step further to scoop the £35,000 top prize at the Saschen Arena.

Smith, who becomes the seventh different winner in as many European Tour events this season, brushed aside Searle in a final which saw both players struggle to find their top form.

“I’m so happy to finally win one,” said Smith.“It grates on your head, you think to yourself if you’re ever going to win one.

“Yeah, finally, I’ve won a Players Championship title, a European Tour title and a major now – that was for my mum and dad!

“It hurts, Ryan was brilliant, he’s a really good mate and when you don’t win one, it hurts.

“You don’t want to keep feeling like that, you try and push yourself, and remember you don’t want to feel like that again.

“Ryan will win loads of these, he’s Ryan Searle, he’s fantastic, he definitely let me off in the final there.”

Smith kick-started his run to glory with a 102 average in a 6-3 win over Joe Cullen on Saturday, before battling past a valiant Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4 in Sunday’s Last 16.

The 37-year-old survived a scare in the quarter-finals, edging out Michael van Gerwen in a brutal last-leg decider despite averaging seven points less than the Dutchman.

Smith then sealed his spot in the final in emphatic fashion by whitewashing Cameron Menzies 7-0 with a 97.4 average.

The Kent-born star raced into a 3-1 lead over Searle in the final, breaking the throw in the fourth to double his lead.

Searle responded quickly, pegging two legs back in quick succession, before Smith bolted clear, winning five out of the next six legs to claim the crown.

Searle, who has already won a Players Championship title this year, could not get over the line in Riesa in his first European Tour final since September 2024.

“My doubles were close, they just weren’t going in, but that happens sometimes!” admitted Searle.

“I think I shot my bolt against [Rob] Cross in the semi-final, I was a little bit flat in the final.”

Searle opened his account with a 6-3 victory over Charlie Manby on Saturday, before thrashing Kim Huybrechts 6-1 in Sunday’s afternoon session with a 99.5 average.

The 38-year-old then blasted past Gian van Veen 6-3 with a 98 average, reeling off five of the last six legs.

He then held firm in a semi-final thriller against Rob Cross – who landed checkouts of 164 and 170 but only to lose 7-6 with a ton-plus average after Searle took out 130 on the bull in the deciding leg.

In the other quarter-finals, Cross – who came through the reserve list to be in Riesa – survived three match darts against Ryan Joyce and saw out the game via a last-leg decider to bolster his chances of appearing in July’s World Matchplay.

Menzies took the scalp of James Wade, recovering from 4-0 down and rattling off six legs on the spin to deny Wade the opportunity of a first European Tour title in a decade.

International Darts Open 2026 Day Three Results

Sunday May 24

Afternoon Session

Last 16
Gian van Veen 6-2 Kevin Doets
Ryan Searle 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
Stephen Bunting 2-6 Rob Cross
Ryan Joyce 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Damon Heta
Ricardo Pietreczko 4-6 Ross Smith
James Wade 6-5 Wessel Nijman
Cameron Menzies 6-2 Martin Schindler

Evening Session

Quarter-Finals
Gian van Veen 3-6 Ryan Searle
Rob Cross 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Ross Smith
James Wade 4-6 Cameron Menzies

Semi-Finals
Ryan Searle 7-6 Rob Cross
Ross Smith 7-0 Cameron Menzies

Final
Ross Smith 8-3 Ryan Searle