Jonny Clayton's fourth European Tour title at the Swiss Darts Trophy has confirmed his participation in November's Grand Slam of Darts, but his contentious comments about the qualification method have ignited a fierce debate. DartsNews.com editor Lucas Michael gave an opposed view, arguing: "You may be one of the top players in the world, but you need to prove that and live up to that tag on a regular basis, and that will get you rewarded. It is a unique qualification method, but I am a huge fan of it." Michael noted that 'The Ferret' had played very well in 2026, but that elusive PDC ranking title had escaped his clutches until last weekend when he produced outstanding performances to win the tournament.
The action in Basel saw Clayton defeat Karel Sedláček 6-2 in the quarter-finals after a 6-4 last-16 win over Rob Cross, then overcome Gian van Veen 7-4 in the semi-finals before beating Luke Humphries 8-4 in the final. Humphries had earlier whitewashed Krzysztof Ratajski 6-0, edged Cristo Reyes 6-3, and seen off Mensur Suljović 7-4 in the last four. Michael insisted: "Clayton was the champion, but the best player on the weekend was Humphries. Finally, in a year dominated by Luke Littler, we have someone who looks to be matching him in terms of displays on the oche. That World Grand Prix win was a statement, his run in Basel was proof that it was no fluke and that he has gears to his game."
However, the weekend was overshadowed by Mensur Suljović's antics. The Austrian defeated Ross Smith 6-5 in the last 16, Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 in the quarter-finals, but lost 7-4 to Humphries in the semi-finals. Michael said: "His antics against Ross Smith were not a pleasant sight to behold. Him taking his time when throwing and playing at a lethargic pace is fine, nothing in the rule books against that. When he is clearly trying to jeer up the crowd when his opponent is aiming at a double is out of order and will not make him popular behind the scenes." Pieter Verbeek, editor for DartsNews.com, added: "Suljovic repeatedly encouraged the crowd to make noise while the Englishman was throwing. Smith subsequently missed match darts and lost, before describing his opponent as an 'absolute helmet' on social media. Suljovic responded angrily, adding another chapter to an already eventful weekend."
Theo Stodiek, editor for DartsNews.de, called for punishment: "During his match against Smith, he encouraged the crowd while the Englishman was standing at the oche with match darts. Later, in an interview, he reportedly said that complaining was 'for women'. That sexist remark is completely unacceptable, especially in front of television cameras. The PDC should respond with a meaningful punishment." Stodiek also highlighted that Suljović reached a European Tour semi-final for the first time in five years, beating Smith, Van Duijvenbode and Michael van Gerwen for the fourth consecutive time, earning £18,000 in prize money to give himself important breathing space in the race for the European Darts Championship and strengthening his position in the battle for a Tour Card.
Verbeek praised Gian van Veen, who reached the semi-finals, and Dirk van Duijvenbode, who made the quarter-finals: "Van Veen remains particularly interesting. His performances are still inconsistent, yet his results continue to be remarkably solid. Consecutive European Tour semi-finals and a World Grand Prix quarter-final underline that point. If the European champion can rediscover his very best form, he should once again be capable of challenging regularly for titles." Meanwhile, Stodiek noted Van Gerwen's struggles: "Despite several close matches and moments of bad luck, early exits are becoming increasingly frequent. He has not played in a major quarter-final this season. It is too early to declare his comeback over, but the trend is clearly going in the wrong direction."
Michael also discussed the race to Dortmund: "Cristo Reyes seemed to have cemented his spot with another brilliant few days of darts. For the likes of Martin Schindler and Stephen Bunting, they will need to put on a show in Maastricht. Especially Bunting who finds himself 32nd and only £2,000 ahead of Karel Sedlacek. 'The Bullet' has competed in 11 European Tour events this year, with a best result being a quarter-final in Poland. Over half of his appearances have ended in second round exits. Nowhere near good enough, and possibly the start of a painful slide for the former Masters champion."
