Luke Humphries has kept his World Grand Prix title defence alive and will now be favourite to seal the title again from here especially after the previous results this evening in Leicester. This saw Ryan Joyce set up a tie with Mike de Decker for a spot in the final.
ADVERTISEMENT
Humphries saw off Jonny Clayton in a 3-1 win over 'The Ferret' who put in a valiant effort in one of his best runs in some time. But still it was to no avail as 'Cool Hand Luke' upped his level in the end and sealed the win.
Humphries initially claimed the opening set with a superb opening salvo 3-1 with the aid of two maximums. It was a bright start for the World Number One.
But Clayton asked the question in the second and forced Humphries to produce again. 'The Ferret' made it 1-1 in sets holding throw after Humphries missed 114 to take it to the decider and the Welshman pinned double 10 to level.
But on his return from the break, Humphries was in no mood to have Clayton lead. He went 2-0 down. But a catalyst came in the form of a wonderful 146 checkout to break the Welshman's throw and he was then taken to a decider.
Humphries dug deep to break throw in the decider and hit double 10 to claim the set and make it 2-1. The title defence was still on from there as despite Clayton taking it to a decider, he left 69 from 209. He had more match darts though hitting double four after missing five match darts prior.
ADVERTISEMENT
It looked in doubt but a heroic Humphries underlined he is the man to beat in world darts amid the recent noise about his lack of attention by James Wade and Gary Anderson.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
HUMPHRIES INTO THE SEMI-FINALS!
The title defence is still on for Luke Humphries as he beats Jonny Clayton 3-1 to reach the last four in Leicester.
📺 bit.ly/WGP24Live#WGPDarts