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, where Chris Dobey secured 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 failed to bounce back, suffering a 6-4 defeat at the hands of Andrew Gilding. Gilding's campaign ultimately ended in a 7-1 semi-final loss to the eventual champion Dobey, who had earlier beaten 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, a 35-year-old from Northumberland, initially trailed 2-0 against Hood but regained 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 proved too much for Hood's 102.91 average. "Given my form this year, I'm confident of winning more titles," Dobey said. "Securing one of these championships is challenging, so to have won ten is an incredible feeling. Stream Premier League Darts live on NOW View the Premier League Darts schedule and standings Watch the latest darts videos and highlights Tune in to the Love the Darts podcast "Hood put up a strong fight with some excellent shots at crucial moments, but I played consistently well throughout the day and I'm thrilled with another victory. "My goal now is to replicate this success on TV and in European Tour events. I know I have the capability, it's just a matter of maintaining consistency." The Wigan event 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.