The World Grand Prix trophy engraver was able to complete half of their job this evening, with the name Luke already neatly etched beside the year 2025.
They will have to wait another 24 hours to know precisely which surname will be added as we sit back and eagerly await a sixth PDC major Littler versus Humphries showdown.
Four came, two remain. Here is how the action went down this evening in Leicester and how we have ended up with yet another mouthwatering Luke Derby tomorrow evening.
Luke Humphries 5-3 Danny Noppert (3-0, 3-2, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1)
The 2023 champion is back in the final once again, becoming only the third player in the tournament’s history to achieve that accolade. It’s pretty obvious who the other two are, so there’s no need to even type their names.It was a match that resembled a spinning class for the middle-aged – manic for short bursts, slowing right down, then suddenly ramping back up again. In keeping with the cycling theme, the world number one stormed out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter.
To his credit, Danny Noppert stayed on his rear wheel for much of the early pace. The first two sets both went Humphries’ way, the second sealed with a crucial bull finish.By the end of the third, Cool Hand Luke had ridden off into the distance while Noppie appeared to have picked up a puncture. You’d struggle to beat your mate Dave down the pub after ten pints with a 52 average – never mind the best player on the planet. In fairness, Luke’s 115.62 in that set would have been a tall order for anyone.That seemed to be that – Humphries cruising 3–0 up in a race to five, playing at his brilliant best while his Dutch challenger grew visibly frustrated. But this is darts, and it’s never over until it’s over.
Noppert is a major winner, and he picked this hefty deficit as the moment to prove why. Suddenly, it was world number ones time to get a flat tyre. Sensing an opening, The Freeze dug deep and clawed a set back. Agonisingly, though, he couldn’t steal the deciding leg in the next and found himself standing perilously close to the trapdoor – 4–1 to Humphries, one more to go.But Noppert wasn’t done. He jumped back on his bike and pedalled for his life, while the Berkshire born Ace desperately searched for the gears that had carried him earlier. Before you could say Tour de France, it was 4–3 – and Noppie had the darts in the next.A hold of throw would have made things very interesting indeed, but when the best in the world need to find that extra burst of speed, they somehow always do.
Much like Popeye after a can of spinach, Humphries suddenly sprang into life. Noppert tried to keep pace but simply couldn’t match the leg speed, and a relieved Cool Hand finally crossed the finish line to book his spot in yet another Leicester final.
Luke Littler 5-1 Jonny Clayton (3-1, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2, 3-0, 3-0)
Reigning World Champion, Luke Littler remains on course for a rare piece of silverware he’s yet to lift, after an emphatic victory over 2021 Grand Prix winner Jonny Clayton. The Welshman started slowly – and against Littler, that rarely ends well. The second set was a belter, with both players averaging north of a ton, but a pivotal break of throw halfway through helped seal it for the teenager.
At that point, you felt The Ferret needed to get a chalk on the board quickly or it could become a lost cause – and that’s exactly what he did, dominating the third set to halve the deficit. But a piece of Nuke magic in the following one proved the turning point.
Throwing to level the match, Clayton left his beloved D16 – only for Littler to produce a huge 140 checkout in the context of the contest. 3–1 to The Nuke, momentum regained.From there, it was one-way traffic.
That moment seemed to take the wind out of Clayton’s sails, and he didn’t win another leg. The Warringtonian took complete control, reeling off the final two sets to set up a mouthwatering final between the top two ranked arrow-smiths on the planet. It has class written all over it.
Matches between these two make darts fans salivate. So, will Littler tick off another trophy for his ever-growing collection, or will Humphries lift the same piece of silverware that began his road to stardom just 24 months ago?
IToss a coin – you’ve got the same odds.
—–Ends—–
Images: Simon O’Connor / PDC
