Reigning champion Luke Humphries shocked by Peter Wright at World Darts Championship
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Former winner Peter Wright reacting during the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Defending champion Luke Humphries was knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship as former winner Peter Wright secured a shock 4-1 last-16 win late on Dec 29 at Alexandra Palace in London.
Wright, the two-time world champion, clinched victory with a 70 per cent success rate, a 100.93 set average and five 180s.
Humphries, unable to deliver a solid performance, averaged 99.23 with a 56.3 per cent checkout rate, but will retain his world No. 1 ranking.
“Luke gave me a load of chances there, he didn’t play like he can,” the 2020 and 2022 winner Wright told Sky Sports. “I’ve been struggling for form all year and it’s so annoying because I know I can still play darts.
“I’m a double world champion and I want to win it for a third time. I’m not too old and you only have to play well for two or three weeks the whole year. These three weeks are all that matters and I’m in the quarter-finals.”
The 17th seed Scot will face either eighth seed Stephen Bunting or the unseeded Luke Woodhouse in the quarter-finals.
Humphries said after his loss: “I probably put too much pressure on myself tonight, but I thought I played okay. I kept hitting the treble first dart but I couldn’t follow it. Peter played fantastically and backed up what he said pre-match, so fair play to him.
“I’m still the world No. 1, and this result won’t deter me from going on to win more.
“I know that if I’m going to be playing this sport for 20 more years, I’m not going to win it every time. And if someone puts in a performance like that against you, you have to accept that the better player won...
“I’m not looking towards next year’s World Championship yet, but when we’re back here next year, of course I would love to get my title back. I don’t see my career ending as a one-time world champion. I do feel like I will win more.”
The afternoon-session ties on Dec 29 saw Sweden’s Jeffrey de Graaf beat Filipino Paolo Nebrida 4-1, Dutchman Kevin Doets pip Pole Krzysztof Ratajski 4-3 and Englishman Callan Rydz sweep past Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh 4-0.
Welshman Robert Owen beat England’s Ricky Evans 4-2, before Gerwyn Price beat Jonny Clayton in an All-Welsh clash by the same score. REUTERS
