Dobey Claims Second Title of 2026 as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' slump in form continued with a disappointing exit in the last 16 at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey dominated the competition to secure his second title of the year. Humphries' struggles began four days prior with a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton in Brighton, leaving his Premier League finals hopes in doubt. He then suffered a 6-4 defeat to Andrew Gilding, failing to recover from the setback. Meanwhile, Gilding advanced to beat Beau Greaves 6-3, after the 22-year-old made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. Gilding's impressive run came to an end with a 7-1 semi-final loss to Dobey, who went on to claim the £15,000 prize by overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final. Dobey initially trailed 2-0 but regained control, winning six of the next seven legs. He consistently delivered ton-plus averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final, surpassing Hood's 102.91 average. "My goal is to win more titles, and it's a great feeling to have won ten," Dobey said. "I'm looking forward to replicating this success on TV and in European Tour events. I know I have the ability, I just need to maintain consistency." The tournament also saw Thomas Lovely achieve a nine-darter in his round three loss to Luke 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. The quarter-finals 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 on the line, Luke Humphries will be defending his championship, and fans can catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.