Luke Humphries Breaks Losing Streak Against Littler in Premier League Semi-Final
Luke Humphries ended a frustrating five-game losing run against teenage rival Luke Littler, clinching a dramatic victory in the semi-final of night six in the Premier League Darts tournament held in Nottingham. This marked Humphries' first win over Littler since their encounter in last season's Premier League final at London's O2 Arena, where Littler has otherwise dominated their recent matchups.
Clutch Performance Seals the Win
Humphries stopped the rot by triumphing in a tense final-leg decider, claiming the match with a clutch 128 checkout. Throughout the contest, he demonstrated superior form, though he had earlier missed three match darts that could have secured a more comfortable victory. Littler had entered the arena with a playful jab, reminding the Nottingham locals of Nottingham Forest's losing score in their Europa League tie at the nearby City Ground. However, much like Vitor Pereira's team, Littler's night concluded in defeat as Humphries booked his spot in the final against Jonny Clayton.
Clayton Overcomes Health Issues to Reach Final
Even being struck down by gout in his foot could not prevent Jonny Clayton from reaching the night's showpiece final. The Welshman could barely walk around the stage after being diagnosed with the inflammatory arthritis condition, but his throwing arm remained unaffected. Clayton followed up his quarter-final victory over Michael van Gerwen with a semi-final success against Stephen Bunting, cementing his position as the league leader after advancing to his third nightly final of the season.
Littler's Earlier Victory and Tournament Highlights
Earlier in the evening, Littler had won the match of the night by defeating Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals. It was a high-quality encounter where both players peppered the treble 20 bed, but the teenager continued his dominance over Price, claiming an 11th win in their last 12 meetings through another last-leg decider. In other matches, Josh Rock's miserable debut campaign persisted as he was hammered 6-1 by fellow struggler Stephen Bunting, meaning he has lost all six of his matches so far this season.
