Littler Wins As Van Veen Comeback Stuns Humphries

Luke Littler won his first lucifer arsenic world number 1 to advancement astatine nan Players Championship Finals, while Gian van Veen produced a 2nd stunning comeback triumph against Luke Humphries successful nan abstraction of a month.

Less than a period aft upsetting Humphries successful nan last of nan European Championship, Van Veen fought backmost from 3 legs down to conclusion nan defending champion 6-5 successful Minehead.

Humphries flew retired of nan traps pinch checkouts of 145, 40 and 83, but Van Veen came roaring backmost pinch finishes of 161 and 81 connected bullseye.

The erstwhile world number 1 steadied himself earlier losing propulsion astatine 4-4, earlier 2 Van Veen misses allowed Humphries to group up a deciding leg.

Van Veen's difficult activity looked to beryllium successful vain arsenic he missed 5 lucifer darts, but Humphries was arsenic wasteful and fell to a 4th consecutive nonaccomplishment to nan Dutchman.

It has not been nan champion period for Humphries, who earlier this period surrendered his world number 1 crown to Littler erstwhile he mislaid to 'The Nuke' successful nan Grand Slam of Darts final.

Meanwhile, Littler breezed into nan 2nd information pinch a 6-1 triumph against Jeffrey de Graaf.

After being introduced to nan crowd arsenic world number 1 for nan first clip successful his career, Littler averaged 104.46 to proceed his hunt for a first Players Championship title.

"It felt perfectly amazing, astir apt 1 of nan champion feelings I've had, to beryllium world champion and world number 1 astatine nan aforesaid clip - but location is much to come," Little told ITV Sport.

"This is nan title I haven't won yet. Last twelvemonth I came up short against Luke Humphries truthful I want to tick this 1 off."

The 18-year-old will look Ross Smith successful nan 2nd information aft nan Englishman saw disconnected Ryan Meikle 6-1.

Top seed Gerwyn Price was not astatine his champion against Max Hopp - missing six darts erstwhile trying to return a 5-2 lead - but nan German grounded to capitalise and Price won 6-2.

Stephen Bunting notched a regular 6-2 triumph complete Ritchie Edhouse, earlier Nathan Aspinall dispatched Karel Sedlacek 6-3.

Four-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld limped retired pinch a 6-3 conclusion by Krzysztof Ratajski.

Rob Cross, Dave Chisnall and Jonny Clayton were each beaten successful nan day session, pinch James Hurrell defeating erstwhile finalist Clayton pinch a 99.2 average.

World number six James Wade progressed pinch a comfortable 6-3 triumph complete Mickey Mansell.