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, while Chris Dobey claimed 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 unable to bounce back and fell 6-4 to 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, becoming the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final in PDC history. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey, who stormed past 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, the 35-year-old from Northumberland, initially dropped the first two legs against Hood but then took control by winning six of the next seven legs. Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently produced impressive ton-plus averages, culminating in a 105.28 average in the final, which was enough to overcome Hood's spirited challenge and his average of 102.91. "Given my form this year, I'm confident of winning more titles," Dobey said. "Winning one of these events is tough, 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 great fight with some crucial shots, but I played well throughout the day and I'm thrilled with another win. "My goal now is to replicate this form on TV and in European Tour events. I know I have the ability, it's just about maintaining consistency." 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. 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, and you can catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and other top sports with NOW.