World Grand Prix Darts: Luke Littler demolishes Luke Humphries 6-1 to claim another major TV title and move closer to world number one in Leicester | Arrows News

Luke Littler claimed a maiden Boyle Sports World Grand Prix title and moved closer to world number one with a complete 6-1 win over Luke Humphries in Leicester.

The world’s top two teams renewed their rivalry after achieving a dream final at Mattioli Arena, with Littler winning the first two sets in the final play-offs and agonizingly missing the bullseye for a nine-dart volley straight after the break.

Littler finished the third and fourth sets in the deciding first leg but Humphries pulled one back by taking the fifth set with a 154 checkout, before the 18-year-old won the next two sets to complete an emphatic victory.

Littler’s latest major TV success comes after victories at the World Championship, UK Open and World Matchplay during another impressive campaign, while 2023 champion Humphreys – who edged Littler 93.61 to 92.15 in the averages – finished second for the second year in a row.

Littler’s win also moves him closer to £70,000 ahead of Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit, increasing the possibility of him moving to the top of the world rankings before defending his world title next December.

“(£70,000) is not a big prize money, considering what we are playing for,” Littler told Sky Sports of his quest for the world number one spot. “Luke (Humphries) will know I’m behind his back now and I’m after him.”

How Littler got the whole Leicester title

Littler opened with 16 darts but had an astonishing 13 darts to start the next round, then responded to Humphreys’ 13-dart break by breaking with a 66 and clinching the set in the final playoff.

Nuke took advantage of missed doubles from Humphries to win the first two games of the second, with Humphries hitting 13 and 11 darts before Littler delivered a 64 checkout to move to a two-set advantage.

Littler fired eight perfect darts during the opening leg of the third game, missing the target point in pursuit of only the fourth nine-dart mark in tournament history, then recovered from a two-set dart miss to take the set by 104 points.

A shocked Humphries responded to Littler to start the fourth game with a 116 finish by hitting 149 and 110 checkouts in successive rounds, pulling the set into another final game from 2-0 down, but Littler pinned a D10 in the decider to move four points clear.

Humphreys’s persistence saw him reel in straight four legs, raising his arms high after making a 154 checkout to win fifth place with a break of 12 arrows, only for Letellier to take 90th place in the next set and conclude the sixth set with a stunning 11 fours.

The relentless Littler birdied 98th and added another shot of more than a ton to move within striking distance of victory, before grabbing 14 darts – in another first-leg playoff – to clinch a seventh different major title in less than two years.

Humphries after Letlier’s thrashing: “I have to improve”

Littler’s win is his second successive victory over Humphreys in a televised final, having also beaten him in the New Zealand Darts Masters this summer, with the world number one admitting he has a lot of work to do to keep up with the new world champion at the Grand Prix.

“He was very decisive in the first four sets,” Humphreys said He told Sky Sports. He added, “When I was 4-0 down, I just wanted to give something to the fans. I wasn’t playing for myself, I was playing for the fans because the match got away from me.”

“It’s tough to take. It’s disappointing because I felt like I was going to give him a better game than I did. I’ve got to get better. I’ve got to work harder. If I don’t do that, he’ll walk away from him all the time.”

“I need to work harder than ever because I want to be on the same level as him.”

Littler, who is now just three titles away from winning every PDC main event, He told Sky Sports: “Very happy to have achieved this. It is not the easiest tournament to win. This week has been very difficult.

“Now I’ve got the trophy, it’s a title I can go for and there’s not much left to do. I’ve got to hit the big shots, the big shots when Luke (Humphries) puts me under pressure.

“I think I played very well tonight. Luke was always by my side, and I couldn’t stop pressing. I’m very happy with the win.”

What’s next?

The PDC ProTour continues with Players Championship events in Wigan on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the start of the German Darts Championship on Friday – the final qualifying event for the European Machineseeker Championship the following week.

The next live TV event on Sky Sports is the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton from November 8-16, before the World Darts Championship takes place from December 11-January at Alexandra Palace. Stream darts, football, golf, cricket and more without a contract with NOW.