Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent slump continued with a disappointing exit in the last 16 at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey claimed his second title of 2026 with a convincing victory. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, 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, after Greaves made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final with wins over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey in the semi-finals, who dominated 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 secure the £15,000 prize. Dobey, who initially trailed 2-0 against Hood, regained control by winning six of the next seven legs. With a 105.28 average, Dobey consistently produced high-scoring performances throughout the tournament, ultimately outdoing Hood's 102.91 average in the final. "My goal is to build on this success and claim more titles throughout the year," Dobey stated. "Winning one of these events is challenging, so to have won ten is an incredible feeling. I'm eager to replicate this success on TV and in European Tour events, and I'm confident that I can achieve it with consistency." The tournament in Wigan also saw a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three loss to Woodhouse. Results from the last 16 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. The quarter-finals saw Connor Scutt defeat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood overwhelm Tom Sykes 6-0, and Chris Dobey beat Richard Veenstra 6-3. The semi-finals featured Justin Hood's 7-3 win over Connor Scutt and Chris Dobey's 7-1 rout of Andrew Gilding. In the final, Chris Dobey secured an 8-4 win over Justin Hood. With the Premier League Darts title defense on the horizon, Luke Humphries will be looking to regain his form, and fans can catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.