Luke lights up PDC Players Championship with super display to claim event 4
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2024 World Champion Luke Humphries picked up a first ranking title of 2026 when he denied Wessel Nijman a second Players Championship of the season yesterday, as the reigning Premier League defeated the Dutchman 8-6 to claim the crown in Wigan.
Humphries - who was without a Players Championship title since October 2024 - claimed his first title of the year with a dazzling display of darts, reaffirming his status as one of the premier players in world darts.
The world number two scooped the £15,000 top prize with an average of 104 against Nijman - his sixth ton-plus average of the day.
The Englishman trailed early in the contest, as Nijman rattled off back-to-back legs to take a two-leg lead, before Humphries responded in kind to level the contest at two apiece.
PDC
Nijman - who had already picked up a title this year in Hildesheim the week before - took the lead once again with a trio of five-visit legs, before Humphries claimed four legs on the spin, with winning legs of 12, 12, 14 and 12 darts to take a 7-5 lead.
Humphries sealed the victory two legs later, pinning a brilliant 13-dart leg to claim his fifth straight win over the Dutchman.
“Except for that first game, I thought I was really good today,” reflected Humphries, who recorded a tournament average of 102.19.
“I’ve had some really, really tough games to play today. A couple of really tough ones early on, and then Stephen Bunting and Gerwyn Price; these are Premier League players.
“I missed a few doubles today, but I’m really pleased with myself and feeling really good about my game.
"I feel elated! For me, these are big. It gives me a lot of confidence because it’s the first tournament I’ve won in a long time.
“I think my son will be watching me at home. He loves watching on the screen, I’m sure he will be very happy as well!
“There’s going to be a lot of graft this year, but if I keep playing like that then the rewards will come.”
Having kicked off his campaign with a deciding-leg victory over Martijn Dragt, Humphries produced averages of 103 and 104 to reach the last 32, with wins over Marvin Kraft and Luke Woodhouse respectively.
The world number two would then beat his Premier League rival Stephen Bunting, before producing a sublime 108 average in a 6-2 victory over Niels Zonneveld to book his place in the semi-finals.
LUKE HUMPHRIES CAREER STATS: Check out full profile on dartsdatabase
This set-up a scintillating clash against Gerwyn Price, as the 31-year-old produced yet another ton-plus average to defeat the Welshman 7-4.
Nijman, meanwhile, registered two ton-plus averages of his own, his first coming in his opening round game against Yorick Hofkens, before beating Ryan Meikle and Cor Dekker to book his place in the last 16.
The 25-year-old then averaged 107 in a whitewash victory over Marvin van Velzen, before denying Daryl Gurney and Callan Rydz prior to coming up short against Humphries.
Price edged closer to his first ranking title of the season, as the Welshman beat the likes of Sebastian Bialecki, Kim Huybrechts and Ricky Evans, before falling to Humphries with yet another ton-plus average.
Rydz also impressed at the Robin Park Leisure Centre, beating TV title winners Noppert and De Decker on his way to reaching his first ProTour semi-final since February 2025.
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The Riot produced back-to-back ton-plus averages against Ryan Joyce and Andrew Gilding, registering an average of nearly 108 in his whitewash victory against Joyce.
Price and Rydz were joined in the quarter-finals by Niels Zonneveld, who found himself continuing his good form into the new year in Wigan, whilst a resurgent De Decker made it to the quarter-finals for the first time in nine months.
Elsewhere, former World Grand Prix winner Gurney beat Dominik Gruellich and Dave Chisnall on the way to his quarter-finals, before succumbing to a deciding-leg defeat against Nijman.
Bialecki, meanwhile, recovered from his opening round defeat against Nathan Aspinall on Monday by advancing to the last eight, claiming an early victory against his compatriot Krzysztof Ratajski, before averaging upwards of 104 to beat Alan Soutar in the last 16.
The 2026 PDC ProTour season will resume in Leicester next week, as Players Championships 5-6 take place at the Mattioli Arena on February 24-25.
Coverage will be broadcast live through PDCTV and bookmakers’ websites worldwide, with German commentary also provided on Stream One.
2026 Players Championship Four
Tuesday February 17
Robin Park Leisure Centre, Wigan
Last 16
Luke Humphries 6-3 Stephen Bunting
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Joe Cullen
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Sebastian Bialecki 6-2 Alan Soutar
Wessel Nijman 6-0 Marvin van Velzen
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Callan Rydz 6-4 Andrew Gilding
Mike De Decker 6-2 Ross Smith
Quarter-Finals
Luke Humphries 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Sebastian Bialecki
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Callan Rydz 6-2 Mike De Decker
Semi-Finals
Luke Humphries 7-4 Gerwyn Price
Wessel Nijman 7-3 Callan Rydz
Final
Luke Humphries 8-6 Wessel Nijman
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