Luke Humphries makes it back-to-back ranking titles at Players Championship 15
Luke Humphries claimed a second successive PDC ranking title at Players Championship 15 in Leicester with a dramatic 8-7 win over Dave Chisnall in the final on Monday.
Humphries, who picked up the European Darts Matchplay title in Trier last Sunday, continued his blistering spell of form by landing a first ProTour title of the season.
The world number six also fired in a nine-darter on a memorable day at the Morningside Arena as he clinched the £12,000 top prize.
The final featured the top two seeds in the draw and saw Chisnall produce finishes of 110 and 78 to open up a 2-0 lead, but only for Humphries to reel off five legs on the spin to seize the initiative.
The five-time Euro Tour event winner picked off finishes of 121, 78 and 94 in racing clear, and he appeared poised to complete an emphatic victory after following up back-to-back maximums with a 116 checkout in leg ten to make it 7-3.
However, Humphries relinquished his grip on proceedings after squandering seven match darts across three legs, and Chisnall capitalised to force a decider, only for ‘Cool Hand’ to regain his poise with a 13-dart hold to seal the deal.
“I’ll be honest, my bottle started to go – I felt really nervous,” admitted Humphries, who had lost two European Tour finals to Chisnall in Kiel and Leeuwarden earlier this year.
“I’ve played in many European Tour finals, I’ve played in a major TV final, but that was the most nervous I’ve felt.
“All of my success has come on the TV stage and the European Tour. I think these events are so hard to win, and I’m so happy to win today, because it’s been a long time since I won a floor tournament.”
Humphries had earlier landed his first competitive nine-darter in his Third Round win over Canada’s Matt Campbell.
“When I hit it I celebrated a bit, because it’s a big moment for me,” added the 28-year-old.
“I think that was my tenth attempt at a double for a nine-darter on the ProTour, and today was finally my day.
“I don’t think I played my best darts today, but I kept grinding out results and when I got to the latter stages I started producing.
“I was maybe a little lucky to get through to that stage, but I will take the title!”
Humphries battled through to the Last 16 with wins over Thibault Tricole, Shaun Wilkinson and Campbell, before coasting past Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-1.
After averaging 105 to account for Jonny Clayton in the Quarter-Finals, he demolished Brendan Dolan 7-2 in the semis.
Chisnall, meanwhile, kicked off Monday’s action with a trio of 6-2 victories, brushing aside Damian Mol and registering ton-plus averages in wins over Conan Whitehead and Luke Woodhouse, before whitewashing Owen Bates in the Last 16.
The top seed then defied a 103 average from Joe Cullen to prevail in a high quality Quarter-Final, and he recorded his fourth ton-plus average of the day to complete a resounding 7-3 success against Ryan Searle in the Semi-Finals.
Searle averaged 107 to demolish Jeffrey de Zwaan in his performance of the afternoon, before later dumping out Germany’s number one Gabriel Clemens in reaching the Last Four.
Dolan claimed a first career victory over young compatriot Josh Rock during his run to the Semi-Finals, having also averaged 103 in his third round rout of Martin Schindler.
Cullen and Clayton impressed despite their Quarter-Final exits, and they were joined in the Last Eight by Challenge Tour star Berry van Peer and Poland’s Radek Szaganski – who made his televised debut at the weekend’s Poland Darts Masters.
Humphries confirmed following the final that he would not be returning for Tuesday’s Players Championship 16, joining the likes of Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright in opting out.
Players Championship 15 Results
Monday July 10
First Round
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Damian Mol
Conan Whitehead 6-3 James Wilson
Luke Woodhouse 6-2 Maik Kuivenhoven
Arron Monk 6-2 Adam Warner
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-1 Stephen Burton
Owen Bates 6-4 Nick Fullwell
Andrew Gilding 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Connor Scutt 6-4 Owen Roelofs
Dylan Slevin 6-4 Nathan Aspinall
Madars Razma 6-5 Krzysztof Kciuk
Daryl Gurney 6-3 Gian van Veen
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Joe Cullen 6-3 Graham Usher
Nathan Rafferty 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Ricky Evans 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Martijn Kleermaker 6-5 Darius Labanauskas
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Scott Mitchell
Keegan Brown 6-4 Adam Smith-Neale
Boris Krcmar 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Ian White 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Josh Payne 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Berry van Peer 6-3 Adam Gawlas
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Geert Nentjes
George Killington 6-4 Graham Hall
Rob Cross 6-2 Daniel Klose
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Bradley Brooks
Alan Soutar 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Kevin Doets 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Ryan Searle 6-5 Kevin Burness
Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-4 Jamie Hughes
Gabriel Clemens 6-1 John O’Shea
Jose Justicia 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Luke Humphries 6-4 Thibault Tricole
Shaun Wilkinson 6-3 Ross Montgomery
Matt Campbell 6-2 William O’Connor
Chris Landman 6-4 Robbie Knops
Jose De Sousa 6-4 Scott Waites
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-5 Mervyn King
Gary Anderson 6-2 Darren Webster
Callum Goffin 6-4 Robert Owen
Jonny Clayton 6-2 John Henderson
Christian Kist 6-2 Niels Zonneveld
Mike De Decker 6-2 Danny van Trijp
Scott Williams 6-5 Jimmy Hendriks
Danny Noppert 6-3 Brian Raman
Ron Meulenkamp 6-4 Jurjen van der Velde
Chris Dobey 6-0 Andy Boulton
Richie Burnett 6-3 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Damon Heta 6-3 Florian Hempel
Lewis Williams 6-4 Lee Evans
Callan Rydz 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Keane Barry 6-2 Tony Martinez
Steve Lennon 6-2 Ross Smith
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Jim Williams
Ryan Joyce 6-4 James Wade
Jules van Dongen 6-2 Cam Crabtree
Josh Rock 6-3 Richard Veenstra
Jeffrey Sparidaans 6-1 Luc Peters
Steve Beaton 6-3 Cameron Menzies
Wayne Jones 6-4 Ted Evetts
Martin Schindler 6-3 Joe Murnan
Jacques Labre 6-1 Jamie Clark
Brendan Dolan 6-3 Devon Petersen
Martin Lukeman 6-5 Nick Kenny
Second Round
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Conan Whitehead
Luke Woodhouse 6-4 Arron Monk
Owen Bates 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Andrew Gilding 6-5 Connor Scutt
Dylan Slevin 6-2 Madars Razma
Ritchie Edhouse 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Joe Cullen 6-5 Nathan Rafferty
Martijn Kleermaker 6-2 Ricky Evans
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-4 Keegan Brown
Ian White 6-5 Boris Krcmar
Berry van Peer 6-2 Josh Payne
Stephen Bunting 6-2 George Killington
Rob Cross 6-3 Karel Sedlacek
Kevin Doets 6-2 Alan Soutar
Ryan Searle 6-3 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Jose Justicia
Luke Humphries 6-2 Shaun Wilkinson
Matt Campbell 6-4 Chris Landman
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Gary Anderson 6-5 Callum Goffin
Jonny Clayton 6-4 Christian Kist
Scott Williams 6-4 Mike De Decker
Danny Noppert 6-1 Ron Meulenkamp
Chris Dobey 6-2 Richie Burnett
Damon Heta 6-1 Lewis Williams
Keane Barry 6-2 Callan Rydz
Radek Szaganski 6-2 Steve Lennon
Jules van Dongen 6-2 Ryan Joyce
Josh Rock 6-2 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Steve Beaton 6-1 Wayne Jones
Martin Schindler 6-1 Jacques Labre
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Martin Lukeman
Losers: £750
Last 32
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Owen Bates 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Dylan Slevin 6-5 Ritchie Edhouse
Joe Cullen 6-3 Martijn Kleermaker
Ian White 6-4 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Berry van Peer 6-3 Stephen Bunting
Kevin Doets 6-5 Rob Cross
Ryan Searle 6-4 Gabriel Clemens
Luke Humphries 6-4 Matt Campbell – *Humphries hits a nine-darter*
Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-2 Gary Anderson
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Scott Williams
Chris Dobey 6-2 Danny Noppert
Damon Heta 6-3 Keane Barry
Radek Szaganski 6-3 Jules van Dongen
Josh Rock 6-2 Steve Beaton
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Martin Schindler
Losers: £1,250
Last 16
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Owen Bates
Joe Cullen 6-1 Dylan Slevin
Berry van Peer 6-2 Ian White
Ryan Searle 6-3 Kevin Doets
Luke Humphries 6-1 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Chris Dobey
Radek Szaganski 6-5 Damon Heta
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Josh Rock
Losers: £2,000
Quarter-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Joe Cullen
Ryan Searle 6-3 Berry van Peer
Luke Humphries 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Radek Szaganski
Losers: £3,000
Semi-Finals
Dave Chisnall 7-3 Ryan Searle
Luke Humphries 7-2 Brendan Dolan
Losers: £4,000
Final
Luke Humphries 8-7 Dave Chisnall
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000
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