Dobey Claims Second Title of 2026 as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent slump continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey dominated the competition to secure his second title of the year. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which put his Premier League finals hopes in doubt, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding then went on to beat Beau Greaves 6-3, after Greaves made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey, who convincingly defeated Luke Woodhouse and Richard Veenstra before overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 prize. Dobey recovered from a slow start against Hood, claiming six of the next seven legs to take control of the match. Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently produced impressive averages, culminating in a 105.28 average in the final, which was enough to see off Hood's spirited challenge. 'The way I've been playing this year, I'm hoping to win more titles,' said Dobey. 'It's not easy to win just one, so to win ten is an amazing feeling. He put up a good fight with some great shots at crucial times, but I played well all day, and I'm thrilled with another win.' Dobey has set his sights on translating his form to TV and European Tour events, stating, 'I just want to start doing it on TV and picking up some European Tour titles. I know I can do it, it's just about being consistent.' The tournament also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. The results from the last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final are as follows: Last 16 - Tom Bissell 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski, Connor Scutt 6-3 Steve Lennon, Tom Sykes 6-3 Martijn Dragt, Justin Hood 6-3 Mensur Suljovic, Beau Greaves 6-4 Joe Hunt, Andrew Gilding 6-4 Luke Humphries, Chris Dobey 6-1 Luke Woodhouse, Richard Veenstra 6-5 Kevin Doets. Quarter-finals - Connor Scutt 6-4 Tom Bissell, Justin Hood 6-0 Tom Sykes, Andrew Gilding 6-3 Beau Greaves, Chris Dobey 6-3 Richard Veenstra. Semi-finals - Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt, Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding. Final - Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood. With the Premier League Darts title defense on the horizon, Luke Humphries will be looking to regain his form, and fans can catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.