Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' poor form continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026 with a commanding performance. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which put his Premier League finals hopes in jeopardy, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding then overcame Beau Greaves 6-3 after the 22-year-old made history as the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final, achieving victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals, with a 7-1 defeat. Dobey, who thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last-16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals, claimed the £15,000 prize by beating Justin Hood 8-4 in the final. Despite losing the first two legs, the 35-year-old from Northumberland regained control by winning six of the next seven legs. Dobey consistently produced impressive ton-plus averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final, which surpassed Hood's 102.91 average. "My goal is to secure more titles, given my performance this year," Dobey stated. "Winning one of these tournaments is already challenging, so claiming ten is an incredible feeling. I'm eager to replicate this success on TV and in European Tour events, and I'm confident I can do it with consistent play." The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely, who achieved a perfect leg in his round three loss to Woodhouse. Key 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 defeat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood overcome Tom Sykes 6-0, and Chris Dobey beat Richard Veenstra 6-3. The semi-finals featured Justin Hood's 7-3 win over Connor Scutt and Chris Dobey's 7-1 triumph over Andrew Gilding. The final result was Chris Dobey's 8-4 victory over Justin Hood. As the Premier League Darts season unfolds, Luke Humphries will be defending his title, with the action available to watch every Thursday on Sky Sports until May.