Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' dismal form continued with a disappointing exit in the last 16 at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey stormed to his second title of 2026. Humphries' hopes of reaching the Premier League finals are now in jeopardy following a 6-4 loss to Andrew Gilding, just four days after his quarter-final defeat to Jonny Clayton in Brighton. Gilding's impressive run included a 6-3 victory over Beau Greaves, who made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's campaign came to an end with a 7-1 semi-final loss to eventual champion Dobey, who crushed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last 16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals. Dobey then overcame Justin Hood 8-4 in the final, claiming the £15,000 prize. Despite losing the first two legs, Dobey regained control, winning six of the next seven legs. He consistently produced impressive ton-plus averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final. 'It's hard to win just one title, so to win ten is an incredible feeling,' Dobey said. 'I'm hoping to pick up more titles, and I know I can do it if I remain consistent.' Dobey aims to translate his impressive form to TV and the European Tour. The tournament also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. The results from the last 16 include Tom Bissell's 6-4 win over Krzysztof Ratajski, Connor Scutt's 6-3 victory over Steve Lennon, and Chris Dobey's 6-1 thrashing of Luke Woodhouse. The quarter-finals saw Connor Scutt beat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood defeat Tom Sykes 6-0, Andrew Gilding overcome Beau Greaves 6-3, and Chris Dobey triumph over Richard Veenstra 6-3. The semi-finals resulted in Justin Hood defeating Connor Scutt 7-3 and Chris Dobey thrashing Andrew Gilding 7-1. The final saw Chris Dobey emerge victorious, beating Justin Hood 8-4.