Joe McConnell
World No.1 Luke Humphries stunned Luke Littler with a stunning semi-final comeback to claim the New Zealand Darts Masters title.
In a rematch of January’s PDC World Darts Championship final, Humphries trailed 6-2 against promising 17-year-old Littler before winning five legs in a row to secure a 7-6 victory.
The 29-year-old Englishman then defeated Australian Damon Heta 8-2 in the final in Hamilton to secure his first world title.
“I was looking forward to this, I didn’t think I would win a world title before I won a World Series, but it happened,” Humphries told ITVX.
Humphries came back from 6-2 down against Littler to win 7-6, before beating Damon Heta 8-2 in the final
“I felt like it was going to happen, but my performances the last two years in the World Series haven’t been as good as I would have liked.
“They weren’t at my best today yet, but they were still pretty good.”
Humphries had previously defeated Michael Smith 6-4 in the quarter-finals, while Littler produced a fine performance, hitting five 180s to defeat Dimitri Van den Bergh by the same scoreline, before falling dramatically in the next round.
Runner-up Heta beat defending champion Rob Cross 6-5 and Peter Wright, who had started with a 6-4 success over Gerwyn Price, 7-4 to reach the final.
What’s next on Vscek?
Luke Humphries lifted the World Grand Prix title in Leicester last year
The BoyleSports World Grand Prix 2024 is the next event in the Vscek darts calendar.
The annual £600,000 tournament will take place at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena from 7 to 13 October, with 32 of the world’s biggest stars battling it out for the coveted title won by Luke Humphries.
Humphries celebrated his first televised title with victory over Gerwyn Price in last year’s tournament; the world No. 1 will return to defend his title later this year.
Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen will also star, while teenage superstar Luke Littler is set to make his debut with a double start in the East Midlands.
Compared to last year’s format, the semifinals on Saturday, October 12 will be played as best-of-nine sets, while the final set will be played as best-of-11 sets on Sunday, October 13.
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Here’s a look back at last year’s thrilling World Grand Prix finale in Leicester
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