Dobey Claims Second Title of 2026 as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent form woes continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey dominated the competition to secure his second title of 2026. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which jeopardized his chances of reaching the Premier League finals, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding then went on to beat Beau Greaves 6-3 after the 22-year-old made history by becoming the first woman to reach a ProTour quarter-final, achieving victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual winner Dobey, who thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last-16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before claiming the £15,000 prize by overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final. Dobey initially lost the first two legs against Hood but then took 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 was enough to overcome Hood's spirited challenge and 102.91 average. "My performance throughout the year has been promising, and I'm hopeful of securing more titles," Dobey said. "Winning one of these tournaments is already challenging, so winning ten is an incredible feeling. I'm delighted with another win and look forward to translating this form to TV and European Tour titles, which I believe I can achieve with consistency." The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely's perfect leg in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. Key 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 thrashing of Luke Woodhouse. The quarter-finals saw Connor Scutt beat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood overwhelm Tom Sykes 6-0, Andrew Gilding defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, and Chris Dobey overcome Richard Veenstra 6-3. The semi-finals featured Justin Hood's 7-3 win over Connor Scutt and Chris Dobey's 7-1 demolition of Andrew Gilding, setting the stage for Dobey's 8-4 victory over Justin Hood in the final. With the Premier League Darts title defense on the horizon, Luke Humphries will be looking to regain his form, and fans can watch the action unfold every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.