Luke Humphries lands Players Championship 20 title
Luke Humphries claimed his third PDC ranking title of 2023 at Players Championship 20 on Monday, defeating Kevin Doets 8-6 in the final.
Humphries becomes the fourth player to win multiple Players Championship titles this season, having overcome Dutch ace Doets to scoop the £12,000 top prize in Barnsley.
Prior to this week, Humphries had not featured competitively since reaching the Semi-Finals of the World Matchplay in July, but he returned to winning ways in style at the Barnsley Metrodome.
“It is strange but you doubt yourself. You think: ‘You haven’t played for a long time, can you still do it?” admitted Humphries, who now boasts nine PDC ranking titles.
“I didn’t really practice much in the last six or seven weeks. I felt like Gary Anderson!
“I’ve learnt a few things with my time off though. I think at times I get too annoyed with myself. I just want to let my talent shine and see what happens.
“If I get to number one in the world one day, so be it. If I lose my Tour Card in five to ten years, it is what it is, but my greatest achievement is my family, and that is what matters.
“I still have targets though. The next target for me is to win a TV title; it’s the next thing I have to tick off the list.
“I still want to be involved in the Premier League too. I really want to play against the best, just be a part of it and the exposure that comes with it.”
The former UK Open finalist opened up with a nine-dart finish in his First Round win over Andy Boulton and followed that with consecutive 6-4 wins over Jim Williams and Scott Williams.
The 28-year-old averaged 102 to record a third straight 6-4 victory at the expense of Ryan Searle, before running out an emphatic 6-2 winner against world number one Michael Smith in the Quarter-Finals.
Humphries then saved his best performance for the Semi-Finals, averaging 107 to thrash Sunday’s champion Callan Rydz 7-1.
He picked up from where he left off to race into a 3-0 lead against Doets, only for the Dutchman to level with three straight legs of his own – including a 120 checkout in leg six.
World number six Humphries restored his foothold with a 13-dart break to lead 5-3, but Doets again responded, following up a 115 finish in leg nine with a superb 12-darter to restore parity at six apiece.
However, Humphries then converted a brilliant tops-tops 100 finish to move a leg away from victory at 7-6, before wrapping up his second Players Championship title of 2023 with a 13-darter.
Doets fell agonisingly short of a first PDC title, but his run to a maiden final began with victories over Nathan Rafferty and Lee Evans, followed by a 6-2 defeat of Mervyn King.
He then edged out European Champion Ross Smith to reach the Last Eight, before backing up a 6-1 demolition of Gabriel Clemens with a hard-fought 7-5 triumph over Mike De Decker.
De Decker impressed in his run to the Semi-Finals, averaging 102 in his win over Josh Payne, while also dumping out Dutch duo Danny Noppert and Jermaine Wattimena.
Sunday’s Players Championship 19 winner Rydz had seen his 12-match winning run curtailed by Humphries in the Semi-Finals, despite a series of accomplished displays.
The Bedlington thrower whitewashed Gian van Veen in Round Two and also posted a ton-plus average to dispatch second seed Damon Heta to progress to the Last 16.
Rydz later defied a 104 average from Rob Cross to win through a compelling Quarter-Final tie in a major boost to his hopes of World Grand Prix qualification.
Cross, meanwhile, posted three ton-plus averages in reaching the Last Eight, where he was joined by World Champion Smith, German number one Clemens and Wattimena.
Michael van Gerwen suffered a shock opening round defeat to Graham Usher, while Peter Wright, Jonny Clayton and top seed Dave Chisnall were among the other big names to crash out at the first hurdle.
Van Veen delivered the performance of the day, averaging 111.33 in a 6-0 whitewash of Damian Mol, with Cameron Menzies averaging almost 108 in a high-quality clash against Cam Crabtree.
Players Championship 20 Results
Monday September 4
First Round
Kim Huybrechts 6-1 Jose Justicia
Mervyn King 6-3 Connor Scutt
Lee Evans 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Kevin Doets 6-3 Nathan Rafferty
Ryan Joyce 6-3 Andrew Gilding
James Wilson 6-3 William O’Connor
Ross Smith 6-2 Brian Raman
Ian White 6-3 Joe Murnan
Daryl Gurney 6-0 Bradley Brooks
Ted Evetts 6-4 Jacques Labre
Cam Crabtree 6-0 Jonny Clayton
Cameron Menzies 6-5 Danny Jansen
Gabriel Clemens 6-4 Krzysztof Kciuk
Adam Smith-Neale 6-2 Graham Hall
Graham Usher 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Owen Bates 6-4 Devon Petersen
Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-3 Chris Dobey
Jules van Dongen 6-3 Berry van Peer
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Woodhouse
Ricky Evans 6-3 Dylan Slevin
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-1 Adam Gawlas
John O’Shea 6-5 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Joe Cullen 6-3 Robert Grundy
Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 Arron Monk
Mike De Decker 6-1 Karel Sedlacek
Josh Payne 6-5 Jurjen van der Velde
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Robbie Knops
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-2 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Steve Lennon 6-3 Dimitri Van den Bergh
George Killington 6-5 Geert Nentjes
Danny Noppert 6-1 Lewis Williams
Mickey Mansell 6-1 Jeff Smith
Callan Rydz 6-5 Keegan Brown
Gian van Veen 6-0 Damian Mol
Damon Heta 6-2 Tony Martinez
Darren Webster 6-4 Martijn Kleermaker
Scott Waites 6-4 James Wade
Danny van Trijp 6-5 John Henderson
Martin Schindler 6-4 Radek Szaganski
Florian Hempel 6-3 Owen Roelofs
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Vladimir Andersen
Daniel Klose 6-3 Vincent van der Voort
Rob Cross 6-2 Mensur Suljovic
Robert Owen 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Maik Kuivenhoven 6-5 Jamie Clark
Richie Burnett 6-5 Peter Wright
Ricardo Pietreczko 6-5 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Steve Beaton 6-1 Boris Krcmar
Scott Williams 6-1 Martin Lukeman
Luke Humphries 6-3 Andy Boulton
Jim Williams 6-1 Stephen Burton
Jose De Sousa 6-1 Luc Peters
Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Ryan Meikle
Ryan Searle 6-5 Alan Soutar
Ritchie Edhouse 6-5 Niels Zonneveld
Shaun Wilkinson 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Matt Campbell 6-4 Callum Goffin
Josh Rock 6-4 Keane Barry
Jamie Hughes 6-1 Jimmy Hendriks
Gary Anderson 6-2 Ross Montgomery
Richard Veenstra 6-1 Madars Razma
Michael Smith 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Kevin Burness 6-3 Adam Warner
Second Round
Mervyn King 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Kevin Doets 6-2 Lee Evans
James Wilson 6-5 Ryan Joyce
Ross Smith 6-5 Ian White
Ted Evetts 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Cameron Menzies 6-3 Cam Crabtree
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Adam Smith-Neale
Owen Bates 6-3 Graham Usher
Jules van Dongen 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Ricky Evans
John O’Shea 6-5 Krzysztof Ratajski
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Joe Cullen
Mike De Decker 6-1 Josh Payne
Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Steve Lennon 6-4 George Killington
Danny Noppert 6-5 Mickey Mansell
Callan Rydz 6-0 Gian van Veen
Damon Heta 6-2 Darren Webster
Scott Waites 6-3 Danny van Trijp
Florian Hempel 6-3 Martin Schindler
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Daniel Klose
Rob Cross 6-1 Robert Owen
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Maik Kuivenhoven
Richie Burnett 6-4 Ricardo Pietreczko
Scott Williams 6-4 Steve Beaton
Luke Humphries 6-4 Jim Williams
Jose De Sousa 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Ryan Searle 6-3 Ritchie Edhouse
Shaun Wilkinson 6-2 Matt Campbell
Josh Rock 6-1 Jamie Hughes
Gary Anderson 6-4 Richard Veenstra
Michael Smith 6-5 Kevin Burness
Losers: £750
Last 32
Kevin Doets 6-2 Mervyn King
Ross Smith 6-3 James Wilson
Cameron Menzies 6-0 Ted Evetts
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Owen Bates
Jules van Dongen 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 John O’Shea
Mike De Decker 6-4 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Danny Noppert 6-4 Steve Lennon
Callan Rydz 6-4 Damon Heta
Florian Hempel 6-2 Scott Waites
Rob Cross 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
Stephen Bunting 6-2 Richie Burnett
Luke Humphries 6-4 Scott Williams
Ryan Searle 6-4 Jose De Sousa
Josh Rock 6-2 Shaun Wilkinson
Michael Smith 6-4 Gary Anderson
Losers: £1,250
Last 16
Kevin Doets 6-5 Ross Smith
Gabriel Clemens 6-5 Cameron Menzies
Jermaine Wattimena 6-0 Jules van Dongen
Mike De Decker 6-4 Danny Noppert
Callan Rydz 6-3 Florian Hempel
Rob Cross 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries 6-4 Ryan Searle
Michael Smith 6-3 Josh Rock
Losers: £2,000
Quarter-Finals
Kevin Doets 6-1 Gabriel Clemens
Mike De Decker 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Callan Rydz 6-5 Rob Cross
Luke Humphries 6-2 Michael Smith
Losers: £3,000
Semi-Finals
Kevin Doets 7-5 Mike De Decker
Luke Humphries 7-1 Callan Rydz
Losers: £4,000
Final
Luke Humphries 8-6 Kevin Doets
Winner: £12,000
Runner-up: £8,000
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