Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' poor form 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 convincing victory. Humphries' loss to Andrew Gilding came just four days after his quarter-final defeat to Jonny Clayton, which has put his chances of reaching the Premier League finals in doubt. Gilding went on to beat Beau Greaves, who made history by becoming the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final, before being eliminated by Dobey in the semi-finals. Dobey's impressive run included a 6-1 win over Luke Woodhouse and a 6-3 victory over Richard Veenstra. He then overcame Justin Hood 8-4 in the final, claiming the £15,000 prize. Despite losing the first two legs, Dobey took control of the match, winning six of the next seven legs. The 35-year-old Dobey consistently produced high averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final, which was enough to see off Hood's challenge. "My goal is to win more titles, and it's great to have already won ten," said Dobey. "I'm looking forward to translating my form to TV and the European Tour, and I'm confident I can do it if I stay consistent." A nine-darter was also witnessed in Wigan, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three defeat to Woodhouse. Results: Last 16: 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-finals: 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-finals: Justin Hood 7-3 Connor Scutt, Chris Dobey 7-1 Andrew Gilding. Final: Chris Dobey 8-4 Justin Hood. The Premier League Darts continues every Thursday until May on Sky Sports, with Luke Humphries defending his title. Stream darts and other top sports with NOW.