16 March 2024 , 05:30
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Luke Humphries insists himself and Luke Littler are putting darts in the best place it has ever been.
Humphries enjoyed another win at Thursday's Premier League Darts, moving him above Michael van Gerwen on the leaderboard. Humphries overcame Michael Smith in his quarter-final, a repeat of his final from the week before. The reigning world champion defeated Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall to claim the night’s crown in Nottingham.
The 29 year-old, who won his first World Darts Championship in January - beating Littler in the final - has been in red hot form in recent months and now playing in his first Premier League, is starting to look like the man to beat. The Littler effect has certainly played a part in darts' popularity rising in recent months, and Humphries is confident about the sport's future.
"What me and Luke have done since the Worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, the best place it has ever been," he shared with Sky Sports.
"We have got me and him. Van Gerwen, Aspinall, [Rob] Cross, [Gerwyn] Price. Hopefully now the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months."
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In the Premier League, Humphries is ahead of Van Gerwen by two points, with Littler following in third place.
He said: "I would love to finish top of the table but top four is what I want. I am still learning, it is tough playing the best players week in, week out. It will be a long slog to finish top. Back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.
Luke Littler has made quite the name for himself (Getty Images)"I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke [Littler].
"Luke is such an amazing player - it gets to the point where you are thinking 'play with two darts' so Nathan did well to beat him.
"It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard."