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 2026. Humphries, still reeling from his quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, was unable to bounce back and fell 6-4 to Andrew Gilding. Gilding's impressive run included a 6-3 victory over Beau Greaves, who made history as the first female player to reach a ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's campaign ultimately ended with a 7-1 semi-final defeat to Dobey, who went on to overpower Justin Hood 8-4 in the final and claim the £15,000 prize.
Dobey's consistent performance, which included a 105.28 average in the final, was too much for Hood, who averaged 102.91. Following his win, Dobey expressed his desire to build on this momentum and secure more titles, particularly on TV and in European Tour events.
The tournament also saw a notable nine-darter from Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Luke Woodhouse. The Premier League Darts action continues every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, with Humphries set to defend his title.