His first world championship title in darts cost Luke Humphries so much energy that he could no longer stay on his feet after the last throw. He now knelt in front of the dart board that has always determined his life. And tears immediately came to his eyes.
His 7:4 victory over 16-year-old Luke Littler, the youngest darts World Cup finalist ever, reminded many observers of the brilliant performance of the 2018 world champion Rob Cross, who had defeated the old master Phil Taylor in his farewell game. At the time, everything seemed to be leading to Taylor crowning himself champion one last time – just as most fans in London’s “Ally Pally” now wanted the young Littler to complete his fairytale rise with the title at his first World Championships.
And so the winning interview from Humphries, the new number one in the darts world, sometimes sounded as if he felt obliged to talk more about his opponent than about himself. However, Humphries said right at the beginning of his speech that he had “no words” for how “great” the triumph was anyway. The Englishman, who almost lost to German Ricardo Pietreczko in the third round, will receive half a million pounds for the title.
Even before the match it was clear that there would be a new darts world champion in the duel between final debutants Littler and Humphries. And this could hardly be predicted until the end; Both professionals acted too equally and also wavering. Nobody was able to break away and sustainably control the match, which was characterized by numerous remarkable throwing combinations.
Littler and Humphries are throwing the darts of their lives, says ex-professional Wayne Mardle
Because of the amazing performances of the two in the tournament, it was expected that their duel in the final would also be well worth watching. In the semifinals, Littler and Humphries each averaged over 105 points per arrow shot, and their hit rates on the doubles fields were just under 50 percent throughout the tournament. Former darts professional and Sky commentator Wayne Mardle attributes the accuracy and consistency to the consistent processes of the players. Mardle told the SZ that it was due to the pair’s “rhythm, speed and routine” that they currently made this technical sport look so easy. Her skills could even rival the style of the exceptional golfer Tiger Woods. Mardle announced that Littler and Humphries were currently throwing the darts of their lives – and that’s what they did in the final.
A thrilling duel developed in which Littler and Humphries each took the lead in the first four sets. Humphries always took the lead, 1-0 and 2-1, and then had to accept the teenager’s counterattack. He managed to win two legs – three are needed for a set – to get the considerable remaining values ”142″ and “120” in one go. The fans jumped to their feet if they weren’t already standing, Littler grinned – and Humphries looked impressed but didn’t let himself be disturbed.
Both players maintained their fast rhythm. Despite the similar speed, their styles differ in nuances due to their different body sizes. Humphries, 1.85 meters, is aiming straight at the target. His opponent, who is about ten centimeters smaller, has to throw slightly upwards. And there’s something else that sets them apart: Even though Littler is playing in a major tournament for the first time, he doesn’t seem to mind the hustle and bustle at Ally Pally. Rather, it seems as if he is taking advantage of the atmosphere by being inspired by the noise of the audience. Littler interacts with them like he does with his darts – in a natural way. With Littler, “nothing is forced, nothing is show,” says Mardle. He’s just a “very cool 16-year-old.”
Humphries has never received such a nice compliment before. He is often accused of sometimes being too busy with the match on stage. He countered the accusation before the World Cup by admitting that it was no problem for him to be seen as “a bit boring” if he won tournaments like that. He heard throughout the game that the darts audience identified more with Littler: he was consistently less euphorically supported and his successful throws were less celebrated.
The influence of the fans became noticeable as the game went on. In the fifth set, Littler accelerated the encounter with the highest score of “180” and took the lead for the first time in the game. He then increased the lead to a lead of 4:2 after sets – also because Humphries was very unfortunate with the third arrow, shooting the previous two from the field of triple 20. At this stage Humphries became restless and struggled.
Humphries took the “121” out of the game with three arrows
But the 28-year-old made use of his experience. He stuck with it, benefited from Littler missing what he saw as a game-winning chance on double 2 to make it 5-2 – and then hit back himself to make it 4-4. In return, Humphries took the “121” out of the game with three arrows – and before that even the “170”. In these two rounds the favorite played at world champion level.
Humphries has now been a professional for six years. Unlike the globally celebrated Littler, for whom everything seems to be going smoothly, he had to cope with a few setbacks. He didn’t win his first major tournament until October 2023. The newspaper Guardian summed up with precision that Humphries was one of those players whose “outstanding achievements almost disappear under the radar in a world full of big personalities and intrusive egos.”
Fittingly, the audience in London only seemed to really discover him on Wednesday evening when Humphries won the even ninth set. With the associated euphoria, Humphries then extended the lead to 6:4 when Littler threw the ball. He was only missing one sentence from the title. And the man who had had to wait so long for the great triumph should now get it now rather than too late. Luke Humphries’ second dart of the match drilled deep into the double 8 at the heart of the Ally Pally.