Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Slump Continues

Luke Humphries' recent struggles persisted with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey claimed his second title of 2026 with a convincing victory. Just four days after a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton, which put his Premier League finals hopes in doubt, Humphries was defeated 6-4 by Andrew Gilding. Gilding then overcame Beau Greaves 6-3, following her historic wins over Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Clayton, making her the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final. However, Gilding's run was halted by eventual champion Dobey, who dominated Luke Woodhouse 6-1 in the last 16 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the quarter-finals before securing the £15,000 prize with an 8-4 win over Justin Hood in the final. After dropping the first two legs, Dobey regained control by winning six of the next seven legs. Throughout the tournament, Dobey consistently achieved impressive ton-plus averages, including a 105.28 average in the final, which surpassed Hood's 102.91 average. "My goal now is to build on this momentum and claim more titles," Dobey stated. "Winning one 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; I just need to maintain my consistency." The event in Wigan also featured a nine-darter by 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 beat Tom Bissell 6-4, Justin Hood defeat Tom Sykes 6-0, Andrew Gilding overcome Beau Greaves 6-3, and Chris Dobey win 6-3 against Richard Veenstra. The semi-finals featured Justin Hood's 7-3 win over Connor Scutt and Chris Dobey's 7-1 victory over Andrew Gilding, setting the stage for Dobey's 8-4 win over Justin Hood in the final.