Humphries beats Littler, 16, to win World Darts Championship،
There was no fairytale ending for 16-year-old Luke Littler on Wednesday as he lost to Luke Humphries in a convincing PDC World Darts Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
Humphries, 28, averaged 113, 114 and 109 in straight sets to take control of the match from the halfway point, eventually beating Littler 7-4.
– How 16-year-old Luke Littler shook up the darts world
The teenager was left to rue a missed opportunity in the seventh set that would have seen him lead 5-2 when he miscounted, threw two triple 18s and saw his dart at double deuce nestle just outside the wire .
Humphries became world number one after beating his semi-final opponent, Scott Williams, 6-0 on Tuesday and, after faltering early in the final, scored with an average of 103.5 to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy.
“I honestly can’t express how good it feels,” Humphries told Sky Sports.
All day, in the back of my mind, I thought, 'Win this now because he's [Littler] I will soon dominate world darts! » He's an incredible player, he's relentless. I was really proud of that performance.”
Humphries has now won four of the last five major televised PDC tournaments: the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts, the Players Championship Final and the World Championship.
Despite losing, Littler won £200,000 ($253,316) in prize money in his first tournament and overtook Kirk Shepherd – who was 21 years and 88 days old in 2008 – as the youngest finalist in history of the World Championship.
When asked how his first World Championship tournament was, Littler said: “It's been amazing. The only negative was losing too many legs with my own throw. [in the final], then Luke would hold and I would be down 2-0. That's the only negative point. I couldn't hold my throw and I didn't win. Fair play to Luke, he deserves it.
“I'm happy; top 32 [world ranking] and finalist in my debut, it's incredible. I made it to the final and I may not be able to reach another one for five or ten years. I can say I'm a finalist, but I just want to go out there and win it.”
The teenager's precocious talents were known to the darts circuit ahead of the tournament – he is the reigning PDC world junior champion – but the manner in which he performed at the oche at the sport's flagship event wowed the crowds at Alexandra Palace. throughout the 17 days of the event.
Littler's progress throughout the World Championship transcended the sport and catapulted the teenager into the public consciousness.
The teenager's newfound fame saw Arsenal footballers Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale ask for his autograph and former Manchester United players Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand send him personal messages of support.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison, who was in the crowd at Alexandra Palace to see Humphries lift the Sid Waddell Trophy, invited Littler to be his guest during Spurs' Premier League win over Bournemouth on Sunday.
The teenager, who celebrated each of his victories during the tournament with a post-match kebab, knocked out two former world champions to advance to the final.
In the final however, he was unable to get the better of an inspired Humphries who denied the 16-year-old the chance to become the youngest world darts champion in history.
