Luke Littler claimed his first BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix championship with a dominant 6-1 victory over rival Luke Humphries at Leicester's Mattioli Arena on Sunday evening.🎯
Championship Performance
The teenage sensation secured his place in the prestigious double-start tournament's history books, dismantling Humphries in front of a captivated crowd. Humphries, appearing in his third straight final at the venue, struggled to match Littler's clinical precision throughout the contest.
Littler seized control early, claiming the opening four sets via deciding legs to build an imposing lead. Although Humphries managed a resurgence in the fifth set to avoid a complete shutout, Littler quickly re-established his four-set advantage with a devastating sixth-set performance before sealing the £120, 000 winner's purse.
Post-Match Reflections
This tournament is incredibly challenging to win, and this entire week has been grueling, said Littler, who narrowly missed achieving a nine-darter after failing to hit the bullseye during the high-caliber final. Now that I've claimed the trophy, I can cross this off my list – there aren't many major titles remaining!
The Warrington prodigy credited lessons learned from the World Matchplay, emphasizing his improved ability to deliver crucial finishes and high scores when pressured by Humphries. He stayed close throughout, so I couldn't afford to ease up. I'm delighted with this victory, he added.
Path to Victory
Littler's Leicester triumph came after impressive wins against Gian van Veen, Mike De Decker, Gerwyn Price, and Jonny Clayton during the tournament. The UK Open and World Matchplay champion has openly expressed his ambition to surpass Humphries and claim the world number one ranking. This latest success narrows the gap to just £70, 000 behind his World Cup teammate.
That's not much prize money considering our typical earnings, " Littler remarked. "Luke understands I'm closing in – I'm right on his heels.
Humphries' Perspective
The reigning world champion fell short of capturing his second double-start title, despite matching Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen's achievement of reaching three consecutive World Grand Prix finals. After defeating Nathan Aspinall, Krzysztof Ratajski, Cameron Menzies, and Danny Noppert en route to Sunday's championship match, Humphries collected £60, 000 as runner-up.
This is difficult to accept and disappointing. Luke is extraordinarily clinical, Humphries said graciously. In those first four sets, I squandered numerous opportunities – double 16 had been reliable for three years, but not tonight.
Humphries praised his opponent's exceptional skill while vowing improvement: I'll return. We have many future encounters, and I must perform better – but his talent is remarkable. I need to practice more intensely, or he'll continue dominating. I must fully commit to my craft and work harder than ever to compete with him.
Match Highlights
The opening set proved chaotic before Littler drew first blood. Despite Humphries posting a 104 average in the second set, Littler doubled his lead after following a spectacular 177 with a precise 64 checkout on tops.
Littler nearly etched his name into World Grand Prix history books during the third set's opening, missing only the bullseye for a double-start nine-darter – which would have made him the fourth player to achieve perfection at this event. He nevertheless secured set three with a 104 finish.
Humphries demonstrated resilience with checkouts of 149 and 110 in consecutive 12-dart legs, but Littler prevailed through another deciding leg to establish a 4-0 advantage. The world number one salvaged the fifth set with a spectacular 154 finish, though Littler's brilliant 11-darter in set six restored his commanding four-set cushion.
Luke Littler 6-1 Luke Humphries (3-2, 3-2, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2)
