Luke Humphries created another slice of history on a memorable night at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on Sunday, after becoming only the second reigning World Champion to win the Betfred World Matchplay.
Humphries defeated Michael van Gerwen 18-15 to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time last night, as the top two seeds went head-to-head in a captivating contest at the Empress Ballroom.
The 29-year-old led for much of the contest, but Van Gerwen came roaring back, converting four ton-plus checkouts in the space of nine legs to threaten a famous fightback.
However, the Dutchman paid the price for spurning eight darts at double across the final two legs, and Humphries profited to add further silverware to his ever-growing haul.
“It was really, really tough,” reflected Humphries, who averaged 100.94, hit 12 maximums and pinned 44% of his attempts at double to claim the £200,000 top prize.
“I was trying to get away from Michael and get a bit of a lead. I could have been 13-7 up but I wasn’t.
“I was trying incredibly hard to build a cushion but I just kept him at arm’s length. I made sure I didn’t let him get in front, although he almost did in the end!
“Michael hit a couple of big finishes that put the pressure on me, but that 140 followed by the 100 finish really did show the resolve that I know I’ve got in the locker."
🗣️ "I'm just really privileged to beat such a legend of the sport in a massive final."
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 21, 2024
Hear the thoughts of Luke Humphries, the newly crowned @Betfred World Matchplay champion! 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/xBpEUKHzHt
Humphries – a semi-finalist in 2023 – was imperious from start to finish in Blackpool, averaging 108.76 in his first round victory over German debutant Ricardo Pietreczko.
The Newbury-born ace then overcame Stephen Bunting in round two, before defeating a hat-trick of former World Matchplay champions in Dimitri Van den Bergh, James Wade and Van Gerwen to add his name to the roll of honour.
“This is a title that everybody dreams of winning,” declared Humphries – the first reigning World Champion to progress beyond the quarter-finals at this event for eight years.
“It’s an incredible feeling. I’m elated, and I could see by the celebrations that my family were too.
“I thought it was a fantastic game, and Michael played a great part in what was an amazing tournament, but I think I was really consistent and I deserved it in the end.”
Humphries has taken the darting world by storm over the last nine months, producing a period of dominance only replicated by Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen in the PDC era.
The world number one has now won five televised ranking titles since his breakthrough win at the World Grand Prix in October 2023, and he also steered England to World Cup of Darts glory on debut last month.
Humphries becomes only the second reigning World Champion to win the World Matchplay, following in the footsteps of 16-time World Champion Taylor, who achieved the feat on a staggering ten occasions.
“I know I have to keep working incredibly hard to stay at this level, because anybody could topple you,” added the 29-year-old, who is refusing to get carried away despite his exploits.
“I know people say I’m the best in the world, but in my mind, Michael is still the player to beat.
“When you look at the likes of myself, Michael [van Gerwen], Luke Littler, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall – there’s not much between us all.
“I just feel really privileged to have beaten a legend of the sport in a massive final, and the next goal would be to beat Michael in a World Championship final.”
Humphries also joins Taylor in recording five consecutive ton-plus averages on his way to World Matchplay glory, underlining his status as the sport’s premier player.
“When you’re playing in a tournament over such a long format, it’s really difficult to hit 100+ averages every time, and I needed to play at that level,” continued the World Champion.
“You usually have little peaks and troughs and if you have a little period when you’re off it can really affect the average.
“For me to hit five ton-plus averages on the trot against some quality opposition – I’m really pleased with that. It’s an elite club and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Humphries – a runner-up in this year’s UK Open and Premier League - has remarkably featured in eight of the last nine Premier PDC finals, and his dominance shows no signs of relenting.
The man nicknamed ‘Cool Hand’ has lived up to that moniker throughout the last 12 months, and he’s the fourth player in PDC history to hold the sport’s two biggest ranking titles simultaneously.
Taylor, Van Gerwen and Peter Wright are the only other players to have occupied World Championship and World Matchplay crowns at the same time, and Humphries is proud to be part of such esteemed company.
“Did I ever think I’d win the World Championship and World Matchplay in the same year? Absolutely not," quipped the world number one.
“I’m only four or five major tournaments away from being the third most successful player in the PDC.
“I’ve achieved so much in this game, I’ve won so many tournaments now, and I’m looking forward to the next challenge."