Luke Humphries' recent slump 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. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which put his Premier League finals aspirations in doubt, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding proceeded to overcome Beau Greaves 6-3 after Greaves made history as the first female player to reach a ProTour quarter-final, achieving victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton. However, Gilding's run was halted in the semi-finals with a 7-1 loss to the eventual champion Dobey, who previously thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last 16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals before beating Justin Hood 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 prize.
Dobey initially lost the first two legs against Hood but regained control by winning six of the next seven legs. With a 105.28 average, Dobey outperformed Hood's 102.91 average in the final, showcasing his consistency throughout the tournament. "My goal now is to win more titles, as winning just one is challenging, so claiming ten is an incredible feeling," Dobey stated.
"Hood put up a strong fight, but I played well throughout the day and I'm thrilled with this win. I aim to replicate this performance on TV and in European Tour events by being more consistent." The event in Wigan also featured a nine-darter by Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Woodhouse. Key results from the tournament 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 in the last 16. The quarter-finals saw Connor Scutt defeat Tom Bissell 6-4, while Justin Hood, Andrew Gilding, and Chris Dobey also advanced to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals resulted in Justin Hood beating Connor Scutt 7-3 and Chris Dobey overcoming Andrew Gilding 7-1. The final match saw Chris Dobey emerge victorious, winning 8-4 against Justin Hood. As the Premier League Darts season progresses, Luke Humphries will be defending his title, with the action unfolding every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, also available to stream on NOW.