Rob Cross pulled out of the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht just before the event started, citing personal reasons for his decision.
The former world champion announced his withdrawal on Instagram on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after he had already arrived in the city.
Cross, seeded 16th, had been expected to compete in the tournament running from October 16 to 18.
In his post, he apologized to the organizers and supporters for the late change.
"I had just arrived in Maastricht.
But unfortunately I've had to pull out of the tournament and return back home due to personal reasons.
Apologies to the PDC Europe and all the fans," Cross wrote.
He had been scheduled to play in Saturday afternoon's session against either Ricardo Pietreczko or Dutch qualifier Heine Uuldriks.
Irish player Brendan Dolan was called up to replace him and will enter the competition in the second round.
According to European Tour Order of Merit figures cited by talkSPORT, Cross had earned £54,000 on the circuit and stood 19th in the rankings.
He is expected to return for the European Championship in Dortmund the following weekend.
Littler Also Absent After Dutch Crowd Tensions
World No. 1 Luke Littler was also missing from the Maastricht tournament, though his absence had a different background.
The 19-year-old has faced persistent booing and whistling from Dutch crowds, including during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, where he played local favorite Danny Noppert and lost narrowly to Nathan Aspinall, according to the Mirror.
The hostility has also unfolded against the backdrop of an earlier dispute involving Dutch player Gian van Veen.
In April 2026, Littler mocked van Veen with a gesture after losing to him in a Premier League match in Manchester and subsequently taunted him on Instagram, the Mirror reported.
After the reception in the Netherlands, Littler warned that he could stop entering European Tour events held in the country.
"If the Dutch stay like this, then I'm not going to do any Euro Tours over there," Littler said last month.
He also expressed frustration about traveling to tournaments only to face hostile reactions from spectators.
"There's just no point in me travelling, wasting my time whilst I'm getting booed," he said.
"I just want to play my darts, obviously sign autographs and stuff. Because the past two nights I've done nothing.
I've just walked off stage, not thanked anyone."
The world No. 1 subsequently withdrew from the Dutch Darts Championship and Players Championship 29 and 30 in Den Bosch, according to the Mirror.
He had also missed two Players Championship events in the Netherlands in September, while his opposition to hostile crowds has extended to tournaments in Germany.
Littler's next potential appearance is the European Championship in Dortmund.
He has won every other PDC premier event but has yet to claim that title, having been eliminated in the last 16 a year earlier.
Competing in Dortmund could give him an opportunity to complete the set before turning 20.
