Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' slump continued with a premature exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, where Chris Dobey secured his second title of 2026. Humphries' hopes of reaching the Premier League finals were further jeopardized after a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton in Brighton, and he was unable to bounce back, suffering a 6-4 defeat to Andrew Gilding. Gilding went on to beat Beau Greaves 6-3 after the 22-year-old made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's run was cut short with a 7-1 semi-final loss to eventual winner Dobey, who thrashed 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's victory was marked by a strong performance, including a 105.28 average in the final, which proved too much for Hood's spirited challenge. 'I'm hoping to pick up more titles,' said Dobey. 'It's hard to win just one, so to win ten is a great feeling.' Dobey expressed his desire to replicate this success on TV and in European Tour events, citing the need for consistency. The tournament also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. With this win, Dobey solidified his position, while Humphries will be looking to regain his form in the upcoming Premier League Darts, which can be streamed on NOW.