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Luke Littler achieved another milestone in the history of darts by claiming his maiden Wemmouth World Masters title with a dramatic 6-5 victory over defending champion Luke Humphries in Milton Keynes.
Littler defeated Josh Locke in straight sets in the quarter-finals and won a thrilling last-round match dart from Gervin Price to reach the MK Arena final for the first time, where he engaged in another chaotic match with Humphries.
The two-time world champion held a 3-1, 4-3 lead over Humphreys, who had dispatched Danny Norpert and Gian van Veen earlier in the day without dropping a set, only to see “Cool Hands” fight back and take the lead in the next two sets.
Littler defeated Price and Humphries in the final on Sunday night
Littler responded by running straight through the final two sets to seal another impressive victory, with the 19-year-old just one European Championship away from winning every PDC ranking title in his historic career.
The world number one posted an average of 104.72 and 13 top scores in an engaging final that saw Littler win after beating Humphreys in last season’s World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts TV finals and claim the £100,000 first prize.
How Littler beat Humphreys thriller
Humphreys squandered a chance to win the first set with a straight leg and then scored 66 points in the decider before seeing Littler fight back with a stunning 153 to level the match.
Littler continued to lead with an 11-dart break, scoring 78 points with a double-double, and 121 straight outs (one over the top and one over the bullseye) gave him a two-set advantage.
Nuke broke again early in the fifth, but missed a set piece in the 14th to go up 121 and 4-1, allowing Humphries to hold on and spark a five-game run that swung the momentum back in his favor.
Littler responded with a three-round burst of his own, but missed a spot-up dart to restore a two-set buffer. Humphries threatened to successfully defend his title. He scored 81 points to win the eighth set and held serve in the ninth set, just one step away from victory.
Luke Humphries hopes to become first since Michael van Gerwen to win back-to-back World Masters titles
Littler needed just 25 darts to complete the tenth set and reach the decider, taking advantage of Humphries’ failure to win D4 to win the next two legs and claim his 11th PDC Grand Slam title.
“Going into the last break down 5-4, I said to myself I had nothing left, but I managed to dig deep,” Littler tell ITV. “I focused and got the job done. It was really weird and tough at times, but that’s why we fought every game and every game. I came out victorious.
“Luke and I are playing in the first major of the year and I’m sure that will continue throughout the year.”
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What to do next?
Premier League Darts League returns for new season on Thursday sky sports liveNewcastle will host opening nights at venues across the UK, Ireland and Europe for 17 weeks.
Littler takes on van Veen on opening night – a rematch of the World Darts Championship final, with either Jonny Clayton or Locke awaiting the winner, while Humphries takes on former world champion Price and Michael van Gerwen takes on Stephen Bunting.
Sky Sports will remain the home of the Premier League in 2026, with exclusive live coverage of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more every night. Watch darts and more top sports without signing up.
