- Luke Humphries suffered a shock last-16 defeat by Peter Wright on Sunday
- The two-time champion hit a stunning 70 per cent of his doubles at Ally Pally
- Wright will play the winner of the Stephen Bunting and Luke Woodhouse clash
Luke Humphries will officially relinquish his crown at this year’s World Darts Championship after being dumped out of the Alexandra Palace tournament on Sunday night by a teary two-time champ in Peter Wright.
Humphries was swept aside 4-1 by the impressive Wright, the mohawked 54-year-old Scot who overcame a chest infection to secure a 100-plus average with a 70 per cent checkout percentage.
It was a sweet victory for Wright – nicknamed ‘Snakebite’ – after he had engaged in a war of words with Humphries by telling him to prepare to be dethroned. Those mind games worked as he talked the talk then walked the walk by outclassing the top seed who is 25 years his junior.
Wright will now face either Stephen Bunting or Luke Woodhouse, both from England, in the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day.
Humphries’ exit eradicates what had been billed as a highly-anticipated semi-final showdown with Luke Littler, the 17-year-old sensation who must see off Ryan Joyce tonight to reach the quarters himself.
Littler may now see his side of the draw opening up for him as he bids to become the youngest world champion in history.
Defending champion Luke Humphries was dumped out of the World Darts Championship on Sunday night
Two-time winner Peter Wright produced a stunning performance to upset the 29-year-old
The pair shared a touching embrace after the match, despite trading barbs in the lead up to the contest
‘Luckily I wasn’t playing Luke Humphries from last year because he was awesome,’ Wright told Sky Sports. ‘I’m a double world champion and I want to win it for a third time. I’m not too old and you only have to play well for two or three weeks the whole year. These three weeks are all that matters and I’m in the quarter-finals.
‘I thought I played rubbish tonight so hopefully I can play better and score better in the next round. As long as this crowd is behind me, I’ve got a chance.’
Humphries, meanwhile, will rue a rare dip – however minor – in form, having put together an extraordinarily consistent 2024. His second world championship crown would have seen the Englishman become the first player to exceed £2million in earnings in a calendar year.
The 29-year-old looked in great shape as he beat Nick Kenny in straight sets on Friday night having soared past Thibault Tricole 3-0 in his opening match before Christmas.
But in Wright, he met an inspired opponent. The Scot averaged 100.93 to Humphries’ 99.23, while Snakebite also found his doubles a stunning 70 per cent of the time to the Englishman’s 56 per cent.
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