Humphries Makes History with Betfred World Matchplay Triumph
Luke Humphries etched his name in the history books with a stunning victory at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on Sunday, becoming only the second reigning World Champion to win the Betfred World Matchplay.
Humphries triumphed over Michael van Gerwen 18-15 in a thrilling contest to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time. The 29-year-old dominated much of the match, but Van Gerwen mounted a fierce comeback, converting four ton-plus checkouts in nine legs.
However, Van Gerwen’s eight missed darts at double in the final two legs proved costly, allowing Humphries to seize victory. “It was really, really tough,” Humphries reflected, having averaged 100.94, hit 12 maximums, and pinned 44% of his double attempts to claim the £200,000 top prize.
“I was trying to get away from Michael and build a lead,” said Humphries. “I could have been 13-7 up but wasn’t. I made sure I didn’t let him get in front, although he almost did in the end! That 140 followed by the 100 finish really showed my resolve.”
Humphries, a semi-finalist in 2023, was impressive throughout the tournament, averaging 108.76 in his first-round win over German debutant Ricardo Pietreczko. He then defeated Stephen Bunting, followed by former World Matchplay champions Dimitri Van den Bergh, James Wade, and Van Gerwen to claim the title.
“This is a title that everybody dreams of winning,” declared Humphries, the first reigning World Champion to advance beyond the quarter-finals in eight years. “Did I ever think I’d win the World Championship and World Matchplay in the same year? Absolutely not!”
Humphries has dominated the darting world over the last nine months, a period of success only matched by Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen in the PDC era. The world number one has now won five televised ranking titles since his breakthrough at the World Grand Prix in October 2023 and led England to World Cup of Darts glory last month.
“I know I have to keep working incredibly hard to stay at this level because anybody could topple you,” added Humphries. “People say I’m the best in the world, but in my mind, Michael is still the player to beat.”
Humphries joins Taylor in achieving five consecutive ton-plus averages on his way to World Matchplay glory, underscoring 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,” he said. “To hit five ton-plus averages on the trot against quality opposition – I’m really pleased with that.”
Humphries has featured in eight of the last nine Premier PDC finals and shows no signs of slowing down. Nicknamed ‘Cool Hand,’ he is the fourth player in PDC history to hold the sport’s two biggest ranking titles simultaneously, joining Taylor, Van Gerwen, and Peter Wright.
“I’m only four or five major tournaments away from being the third most successful player in the PDC,” quipped Humphries. “I’ve achieved so much in this game, and I’m looking forward to the next challenge. Once you’ve achieved the World Championship and this title, it’s all about enjoyment.”
