Luke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to win back-to-back Players Championship Finals
25/11/2024 By Aaron Nijjar
Luke Humphries defeated Luke Littler 11-7 in Minehead to win back-to-back Players Championship Finals.
The world number one and Littler reunited for their third match in a televised final in 2024, following the World Championship and the Premier League.
Humphries averaged 103 throughout the eighteen legs played and joined Michael van Gerwen as the only two players to win the Players Championship Finals in consecutive years.
The Newbury-born star admitted that something was amiss in his game earlier in the evening in his semi-final clash with Dirk van Duijvenbode. However, he credited his tenacity to get over the line when he hasn’t been at his best.
“Buzzing honestly, it’s a relief. It’s not every day you win a major title, but you just want to defend one,” he said to the media, including Oche180.
“I think ‘If I don’t defend this one, then I’m putting all the pressure on myself to defend the World Championships and possibly doing it for the Matchplay next year.’
“I’m really really proud of that one to be honest. I wasn’t at my best all weekend. In the Dirk game, in the semi’s I kind of felt so flat and felt like the game gone away and I felt tired.
“I thought kind of disappointed in myself, I didn’t give that energy I usually do. I didn’t give up, but I kind of did what I shouldn’t have done and I got lucky in that game but not been at my best all weekend.
“In the final, that was more of a Luke Humphries performance I think a lot of people are used too and it gave me a lot of confidence.
“I’ve got a good bit of time now too get my game back up to the standard I know it’s at. You know, I can’t be too critical because it’s another major title and I’m over the moon by it.”
Humphries admitted he relishes opportunities to play against Littler and stated he perceives him to be the best player in the world based on recent form.
“Luke [Littler] has been the best player in the world the last couple of months. It’s a satisfying feeling when you beat the best player in the world in a major final.
“He’s a tough player to beat, he really is. I know he let me have a good advantage at the start there but the way he battles back and don’t give in, it’s hard work.
“He really is a tough player to beat.”
Image taken by Taylor Lanning.
