Defending champion Luke Humphries CRASHES OUT of World Darts Championship after shedding to Peter Wright – as Scot has the final chortle after confrontation erupted between the pair earlier than last-16 conflict
- Luke Humphries suffered a shock least-16 defeat to 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
Defending champion Luke Humphries crashed out of the World Darts Championship after a shock last-16 defeat by Peter Wright.
Humphries, who toppled Luke Littler in last year’s final and entered the tournament as world No 1, suffered a 4-1 loss to the two-time world champion at Alexandra Palace on Sunday night.
The pair had traded barbs ahead of their showdown, with Humphries throwing shade in the direction of the 54-year-old by claiming that he is close to equalling the Scots’ career achievements despite being 25 years his junior.
But it was ultimately Wright who had the last laugh with a 14-dart hold in the last leg of the match.
‘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.’
Wright has set up a quarter-final against the winner of the all-English clash between Stephen Bunting and Luke Woodhouse on New Year’s Day.
Humphries, meanwhile, will rue his uncharacteristic dip 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.
