Dobey Dominates Players Championship as Humphries' Struggles Persist

Luke Humphries' recent slump continued with a disappointing last-16 exit at the Players Championship 9 in Wigan, while Chris Dobey celebrated his second title of 2026 with a commanding performance. Following a quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton just four days prior, which put his Premier League finals hopes in doubt, Humphries failed to bounce back and fell 6-4 to Andrew Gilding.

Gilding then proceeded to defeat Beau Greaves 6-3, after Greaves made history as the first woman to reach a PDC ProTour quarter-final by beating Raymond van Barneveld and Premier League leader Jonny Clayton. However, Gilding's run was halted in the semi-finals with a 7-1 loss to Dobey, who had earlier thrashed Luke Woodhouse 6-1 and Richard Veenstra 6-3 before overcoming Justin Hood 8-4 in the final to claim the £15,000 prize.

The 35-year-old from Northumberland initially trailed Hood but regained control by winning six of the next seven legs. Dobey consistently delivered high averages throughout the tournament, including a 105.28 average in the final, which was enough to overcome Hood's spirited challenge and 102.91 average. "My goal now is to build on this success and secure more titles," Dobey said.

"Winning one is challenging, so to have won ten is an incredible feeling. I'm eager to replicate this form on TV and in European Tour events, as I believe consistency is key to achieving my goals." The tournament in Wigan also witnessed a nine-darter, courtesy of Thomas Lovely in his round three loss 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. In the quarter-finals, notable wins included Connor Scutt's 6-4 defeat of Tom Bissell, Justin Hood's 6-0 whitewash of Tom Sykes, and Andrew Gilding's 6-3 win over Beau Greaves.

The semi-finals saw Justin Hood triumph 7-3 over Connor Scutt, while Chris Dobey dominated Andrew Gilding 7-1. The final match resulted in Chris Dobey securing an 8-4 win over Justin Hood. With the Premier League Darts title defense approaching, Luke Humphries will be under pressure to regain his form, and fans can catch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports.