RELENTLESS HUMPHRIES POWERS TO SECOND CZECH DARTS OPEN CROWN
Luke Humphries stormed to his second Gambrinus Czech Darts Open title with a crushing 8-1 victory over Kim Huybrechts in Prague on Sunday.
Humphries produced one of the greatest European Tour campaigns of all-time to clinch the £30,000 top prize, relinquishing just 11 legs across his five matches in the Czech capital.
The 29-year-old began his campaign with a trio of 6-2 wins against Ritchie Edhouse, Gian van Veen and Mike De Decker, posting a hat-trick of ton-plus averages in the process.
Following victory over Edhouse, Humphries reeled off six straight legs to demolish Van Veen with a 106 average, before avenging his defeat to De Decker in last week’s World Grand Prix final.
The world number one later came through a scintillating semi-final against Luke Littler, averaging 108.56 in a contested littered with quality to deny the 17-year-old a third European Tour title of 2024.
Humphries then seized the early initiative in Sunday’s showpiece with back-to-back 16-darters, only for Huybrechts to halve the deficit in leg three.
However, after restoring his two-leg buffer to lead 3-1, Humphries conjured up three consecutive 12-darters to assume total control – including a sumptuous 132 checkout on the bull in leg five.
Huybrechts had no answer to Humphries’ relentless brilliance, and the World Champion powered to victory in ruthless fashion to secure his seventh European Tour title.
“When I beat Ritchie Edhouse on Saturday I felt good, but I felt I needed a spark, and I found it today,” reflected Humphries, who averaged 105.57 and pinned eight of his 12 attempts at double to dispatch Huybrechts.
“When I beat Gian I felt that spark again, but I still know there’s another level in me, and I believe I can get better.
“It’s nice to bounce back [from the World Grand Prix], because when you lose in major finals it’s not easy; it does hurt you, so this is a nice way to finish my ProTour season.
“I’m going to come back next year and I’m going to work harder. I’m going to change things and I’m going to win more – that’s my commitment to the game!”
Huybrechts – featuring in his sixth European Tour final – was unable to cap off a remarkable campaign with victory, although he was determined to take the positives on his big stage return.
“I’m happy to reach another final,” declared the Belgian number three.
“I wasn’t even in this event originally. I lost in qualification and now I’m in the final!
“This game [against Luke] came too early for me. Last week I was struggling to make the World Championship, so to be in a final against the world number one, it was always going to be tough.
“Give me another year or 18 months – when I have this flow in me, then I will give him a game!”
Huybrechts enjoyed a miraculous run to the final in Prague, overcoming Luke Woodhouse, Pavel Drtil, Jermaine Wattimena and Niels Zonneveld to pocket £12,000 in prize money.
The Belgian failed to progress through a solitary European Tour Qualifier in 2024, although Rob Cross’ withdrawal through illness afforded Huybrechts an unexpected opportunity this weekend.
The 38-year-old crashed in a ten-darter to defeat Woodhouse in a dramatic second round decider on Saturday, which he backed up with 6-4 successes against Host Nation Qualifier Drtil and Wattimena.
Huybrechts then survived a match dart in defeating a crestfallen Zonneveld in the semi-finals, denying the Dutchman a place at next week’s European Championship in the process.
Zonneveld would have replaced Dirk van Duijvenbode in the 32-player field with victory over Huybrechts, having also defeated Dave Chisnall, Ricardo Pietreczko and Jonny Clayton to reach a maiden European Tour semi-final.
Elsewhere, Littler’s run to the last four was a record-breaking one, as the teenage superstar produced averages of 110, 116, 110 and 106 across a remarkable weekend of action.
Following a 6-1 demolition of Nathan Aspinall in round two, the Warrington wonderkid powered in a 116.51 average – a new tournament record – to deny Damon Heta in a thrilling last 16 tie.
Littler then dispatched Michael van Gerwen in an epic quarter-final encounter, storming to a 6-1 victory over the Dutchman, who posted an average of 112.19 in defeat – the highest losing average in European Tour history.
Van Gerwen was joined in the quarter-finals by his compatriot Wattimena, with World Grand Prix champion De Decker and world number six Clayton also making up the last eight line-up.
Following the culmination of the 2024 European Tour, the Machineseeker European Championship will take place next week, as a star-studded 32-player field go head-to-head in Dortmund from October 24-27.
2024 Gambrinus Czech Darts Open
Sunday October 20
Afternoon Session
Third Round
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Michael Smith
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Pavel Drtil
Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Alan Soutar
Luke Littler 6-3 Damon Heta
Luke Humphries 6-2 Gian van Veen
Mike De Decker 6-2 Martin Schindler
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Littler 6-1 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 6-2 Mike De Decker
Semi-Finals
Kim Huybrechts 7-6 Niels Zonneveld
Luke Humphries 7-4 Luke Littler
Final
Luke Humphries 8-1 Kim Huybrechts
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC Europe
