Luke Humphries' slump continues after a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, where Chris Dobey claimed his second title of 2026 with a convincing 8-4 victory over Justin Hood in the final. Humphries' recent form has raised concerns about his chances of reaching the Premier League finals, and his 6-4 defeat to Andrew Gilding did little to alleviate those worries. Gilding went on to defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, who had made history by becoming the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final.
Gilding's run ultimately ended with a 7-1 semi-final loss to Dobey, who had earlier thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 and overcome Richard Veenstra 6-3. Dobey's impressive performance in the final saw him claim the £15,000 prize, and he expressed his desire to build on this success and secure more titles. Dobey's consistent form throughout the tournament was reflected in his ton-plus averages, including a 105.28 average in the final that proved too much for Hood's spirited challenge. The Northumberland player is now looking to translate his ProTour success to the TV stage and make a mark on the European Tour.
The tournament also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. Key results from the tournament include: Last 16 - 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-finals - 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-finals - Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt, Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding.
Final - Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood. With the Premier League Darts title defense on the horizon, all eyes will be on Luke Humphries as he bids to retain his crown. Catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, and stream top sports with NOW.