HASTINGS’ Rob Cross claimed his second European Tour title as he saw off world champion Luke Humphries in the final of the NEO.bet Baltic Sea Darts Open.
The Sidley Working Men’s Club member and former club player pocketed the £30,000 top prize after the 8-6 triumph.
Humphries had shown his class with a sensational nine-darter as he moved 5-3 up in the final, only for Cross to take five of the next six legs for glory at Kiel’s Wunderino Arena on Sunday.
Cross, the 2018 world champion, had edged out Masters champion Stephen Bunting 6-5 in a high-quality third-round tie earlier that afternoon, and needed a deciding leg to seal his comeback win over Ritchie Edhouse in the quarter-finals.
He then took out 156 and 126 during his 7-4 semi-final win over Madars Razma, booking a spot in a second European Tour final of 2024 – having seen Luke Littler land a nine-darter on his way to the Belgian Darts Open title in March.
This time, though, it was Cross who would emerge victorious following a high-quality final where the St Leonards ace averaged 105.56 to Humphries’ 104.38 to win his first ranking title in 50 weeks.
It was a relief for Cross, who rose to fifth on the PDC Order of Merit with the win. He admitted: “To hit back-to-back 12-darters to win was great and I’m happy that I’ve won something – it’s been a while!
“It’s an amazing experience to come up and win something again. I’ve got a new regime at the minute and it’s working. I feel much better, much fresher in the longer days and long may it continue.”
