Luke Humphries Claims Maiden World Series Title

World number one Luke Humphries showcased exceptional skill and resilience, delivering a comeback victory in the New Zealand Masters semifinal against 17-year-old prodigy Luke Littler. Humphries, who had defeated Littler in the PDC World Championship final earlier in the year, overcame a 6-2 deficit to win 7-6 in Hamilton's last four. This is prepared by SSP.

Following this impressive victory, the 29-year-old Englishman seamlessly defeated Australian contender Damon Heta 8-2 in the final, capturing his first World Series title. "I’ve been searching for this," Humphries noted on ITVX. "I didn’t think I’d win a world title before I won a World Series [tournament], but it happened that way. I felt one was coming."

In the final, after dropping the initial leg to Heta, Humphries dominated the next five legs, placing himself in a strong position. Ultimately, he concluded the match by winning the last three legs, boasting an impressive three-dart average of 102.21.

Notably, Littler put on an excellent performance with five 180s in his 6-4 quarter-final victory over Dimitri van den Bergh, although he succumbed to Humphries’ prowess in the semifinals. Runner-up Heta also had a significant tournament run, triumphing over defending champion Rob Cross 6-5 and defeating Peter Wright 7-4 in the semifinals.

Humphries' journey to the title featured a solid 6-4 win against Michael Smith in the quarter-finals. Reflecting on the tournament, Humphries remarked, "My performances in the last two years on the World Series haven’t met the standards I set for myself. Today, while still not my best, they were good enough to win."