Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' ongoing search for form hit another roadblock with a last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey celebrated 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 defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding, unable to mount a comeback. Gilding went on to overcome 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 ProTour quarter-final in PDC history. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals, with a 7-1 scoreline. Dobey had previously beaten Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last-16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before claiming the £15,000 prize with an 8-4 win over Justin Hood in the final. Despite losing the first two legs, the 35-year-old from Northumberland regained control, taking six of the next seven legs. Dobey consistently posted ton-plus averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final, which proved too much for Hood's 102.91 average. "My goal is to win more titles, given my performance this year," Dobey said. "Winning one is difficult, so to win ten is an incredible feeling. Stream Premier League Darts with NOW Premier League Darts schedule and table Latest darts videos and highlights Listen to the Love the Darts podcast "Hood put up a strong fight with some impressive shots at key moments, but I played well throughout the day and I'm thrilled with the win. "My next goal is to replicate this form on TV and win European Tour titles. I know I have the ability; it's just about consistency." The tournament in Wigan also saw a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely, who achieved a perfect leg in his round three loss to Woodhouse. Last 16 results: 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-final results: 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-final results: Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt, Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding Final result: Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood Who will claim this year's Premier League Darts title? Luke Humphries will be defending his crown, with the action available to watch every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sports with NOW.