24 May 2024 , 10:04
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Luke Humphries has been hailed for his poignant gesture to grieving darts hero Glen Durrant during Premier League finals night.
The world number one took to the O2 stage with ambitions to add another title to his already impressive trophy haul following his World Championship victory earlier this year. Cool Hand fell short of victory as teen sensation Luke Littler stormed to his first major title, landing a nine-dart finish in an 11-7 triumph in front of a crowd of over 14,000 - a new record for professional darts.
Before the night's action, Humphries took time to embrace ex-Premier League champion Durrant, whose father passed away earlier this week. It was a memorable night for 'Duzza' for another reason as he called Littler's nine-darter. He exclaimed "Yes! You beauty" as the 'The Nuke' hit the double 12 he needed to complete a perfect leg.
Durrant shared the touching moment with Humphries on social media, writing: "Been a tough week. This has just made things ok again @OfficialPDC #Dad."
Durrant's nephew, Jamie, a fellow darts player, also voiced his admiration for Humphries, posting: "One of the biggest nights of his life and he takes the time to do this [heart emoji] respect just went through the roof for this."
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The players were locked at 5-5 before the break, only for Littler to speed away after his nine-darter. Humphries was sporting in defeat, saying: "Everyone is just living in a Luke world. I hope there are many more major finals between us and I think there will be.
"I think we are the two best players in the world. We have that level where we can both beat each other. Over the next 15, 20 years, we could see many battles in major finals. I hope that is the case."
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Victory for 'The Nuke' marks an incredible chapter in a story that began when he exploded onto the scene at Alexandra Palace over Christmas. Just a year ago, he was busy with his GCSEs. Now he's one of the most recognised sportspeople in the country.
"One hundred per cent it is the best night of my life," Littler declared, who was visibly emotional after the match-winning darts. "The Worlds was weird, I wasn't disappointed and crying like I was tonight."
Next up for Littler is a trip to watch his beloved Manchester United in the FA Cup final, followed by a journey to New York for the upcoming US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden.
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