02 April 2024 , 07:41
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World champion Luke Humphries saw Luke Littler end his hopes of breaking a Premier League darts record - and took his frustration out on Michael van Gerwen.
Humphries had hoped to become the first man to win four nights of Premier League darts in a row in Belfast last week - only to lose the night's opener against Littler. It meant Humphries still hasn't beaten the 17-year-old since the World Championship Final, losing four in a row.
But he has seemingly put that behind him, after roaring to victory in the German Darts Grand Prix - crushing three-time winner Van Gerwen in the final... and needing only nine legs to do so.
Humphries was unstoppable at the Zenith, site of his maiden European Tour title two years ago, racking up 6-2 wins over Ryan Joyce and Danny Noppert before adding the scalp of Gerwyn Price with a 7-3 success.
But he saved the best for last, blowing the Dutchman away with a stunning 8-1 triumph.
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MvG, who had hoped to add to his 2017, 2018 and 2019 successes, simply had no answer to Humphries' brilliance. Humphries racked up six 180s against the Dutchman and checked out twice with a bullseye for 170.
But it was his astonishing average of 112.66 - the second highest ever in a European Tour final - that really caught the eye as he sealed a sixth success at this level.
Speaking after his runaway win, Humphries said: “It was a great final but, for me, I was just unbeatable there to be honest.
“The final felt effortless, it felt good. But that’s the levels you have to be nowadays to win. That’s how crazy this game has got. That’s how crazy you have to be to beat the likes of Michael. I look up to him a lot.
“To pick up a European Tour title two years to the day that I picked up my first is really, really special.”