Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' woes continued with a disappointing exit in the last 16 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, Humphries was unable to bounce back and fell 6-4 to Andrew Gilding. Gilding then proceeded to defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, after Greaves made history as the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final by beating Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton. However, Gilding's run was ended by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals, who went on to claim the £15,000 prize by overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final. Dobey's victory was marked by a strong performance, including a 105.28 average in the final, and he expressed his desire to build on this success and secure more titles. The tournament also saw a nine-darter from Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Luke Woodhouse. With this win, Dobey reinforced his position, and the darts world now looks forward to the upcoming Premier League Darts, where Luke Humphries will be defending his title.