Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent slump continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, where Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026 with a commanding performance. Just four days after a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton in Brighton, which put his Premier League finals hopes in doubt, Humphries was beaten 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding then went on to defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, following her historic victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton, making her the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's run was ended by eventual champion Dobey, who dominated Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last-16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals before overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 prize. Dobey, a 35-year-old from Northumberland, initially lost the first two legs against Hood but then won six of the next seven to take control of the match. Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently produced impressive ton-plus averages, including a 105.28 average in the final, which was enough to overcome Hood's spirited challenge and 102.91 average. "My goal now is to win more titles, as winning one is already challenging, so claiming ten is an incredible feeling," Dobey said. "I'm eager to translate this form to TV and European Tour events, as I believe I have the potential to be consistent and achieve success." The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a notable nine-darter by Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Woodhouse. 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 win over Luke Woodhouse. Quarter-final results saw Connor Scutt beat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood defeat Tom Sykes 6-0, and Chris Dobey overcome Richard Veenstra 6-3. The semi-finals featured Justin Hood's 7-3 win over Connor Scutt and Chris Dobey's 7-1 victory over Andrew Gilding. The final match saw Chris Dobey secure the title with an 8-4 win over Justin Hood. With the Premier League Darts title defense upcoming, Luke Humphries will be under pressure to regain his form, and fans can watch the action unfold every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, also available to stream with NOW.