3 minute read
Michael van Gerwen claimed his second Premier League victory of the season after a 6-5 Night 3 final win over Luke Humphries.
The Dutchman won in Berlin last week and on a night when teenager Luke Littler disappointed a supportive crowd by checking out in the quarter-finals, he again showed his mettle in a last-leg decider against the world champion
Van Gerwen, who is three points clear of Michael Smith at the top of the table, said: "Even without my best performance I think I did a great job and sometimes that is really important.
"Double six let me down tonight but outside that my finishing and the way I played the game was a good standard.
"Of course my score could have been a lot better but sometimes that is darts. Another win, it is good.
"I always believe in my ability and I think I did the right things at the right moments.
"I have put so much pressure on myself. No targets. I'd say I'm at 90 per cent of my game."
Humphries led 1-0 and 4-2 and perhaps should have made it 5-2 but the Dutchman came back to 4-4 and a 180 in the ninth leg helped him forge ahead 5-4 only to see Humphries respond to level and take it into the final leg when another 180 gave Van Gerwen the advantage and he clinched victory with double top.
In his first season in the competition Humphries said: "It was important to play well.
"I was proud of the way I played and I am where I want to be, in the top four.
"It is my first year in it and I am going to enjoy it."
Littler made an early exit after a thrilling battle with Gerwyn Price.
The 17-year-old was given a great reception by the crowd but the Welshman stood strong.
The 2021 world champion just missed double 12 for a nine darter at 3-2 down – Nathan Aspinall also came agonisingly close to a perfect nine-dart leg during his defeat by Humphries – but came back to level at 3-3.
Littler went 4-3 up but again Price came back to win the next two legs before the young Englishman levelled at 5-5 but Price triumphed 6-5 in a tense last-leg decider.
Peter Wright was left frustrated after coming up well short against Van Gerwen.
Wright was cheered to the rafters when he returned to home soil with a highly-anticipated quarter-final clash but was sent packing with a 6-2 defeat.
The Scotsman said: "I was just thinking Michael is not even on it and I couldn't even punish him. It is one of those games. Annoying.
"You see them on TV and you see the players and think, 'oh he's playing rubbish' and you step up but it couldn't find anything. It wouldn't go in.
"I don't know, maybe I have too much respect for Michael, I don't know.
"But the crowd was fantastic. It was nice to see a full house and I really appreciate that and I hope they enjoy the rest of the night.
"I was gutted I let them down.
"Even at 5-1 down I was thinking, Michael is not on it, still I could win this game.
"I know what my game is and I was ready but Michael probably would have stepped up if I started hitting something."
