Winmau World Darts Masters: Luke Littler pips Luke Humphries in final-set thriller to claim TV title in Milton Keynes

Luke Littler ticked off another darting milestone by claiming a maiden Winmau World Masters with a dramatic 6-5 victory over defending champion Luke Humphries in Milton Keynes.

Littler thrashed Josh Rock in straight sets in the quarter-finals and survived a match dart from Gerwyn Price in a final-leg thriller to reach the final for the first time at Arena MK, where he was launched into another topsy-turvy contest against Humphries.

The back-to-back world champion moved 3-1 and 4-3 up against Humphries, who had dispatched Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen earlier in the day without dropping a set, only to see 'Cool Hand' battle back and claim the next two sets to lead.

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Littler responded by racing through the final two sets in straight legs to close out another impressive victory, leaving the 19-year-old just a European Championship title away from winning every PDC ranked title in his historic career.

The world No 1 fired a 104.72 average and 13 maximums during an absorbing final, with Littler's win following TV final victories over Humphries at the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts last season and seeing him claim the £100,000 first prize.

How Littler edged Humphries thriller

Humphries squandered a chance to take the opening set in straight legs before claiming it with a 66 finish in the decider, then saw Littler fire back with a stunning 153 checkout on his way to levelling the contest.

Littler followed an 11-dart break with a double-double finish to take out 78 and move ahead, with back-to-back 121 checkouts - one closed on tops and one on the bullseye - lifting him into a two-set advantage.

The Nuke broke again early in the fifth but a missed a set dart on D14 for another 121 and 4-1 lead, allowing Humphries to hold and spark a run of five consecutive legs to switch momentum back in his favour.

Littler responded with his own three-leg burst but missed set darts to restore a two-set buffer, with Humphries threatening a successful title defence when he fired an 81 checkout to win the eighth set and held throw in the ninth to go a leg from victory.

It took just 25 darts for Littler to race through the tenth set and force a decider, where he capitalised on Humphries failing take out D4 to win the next two legs and claim an 11th PDC major title.

"Going into the last break at 5-4 down I said to myself I have got nothing left, but I managed to dig deep," Littler told ITV. "I was fully focused and got the job done. It's definitely been weird and tough at times, but this is why we battle in every game and every leg. I've come out victorious.

"Me and Luke in the first major of the year and I'm sure it will continue throughout the year."

What else happened on Sunday?

Humphries had dropped just one leg and Littler two during their quarter-final wins over Rock and Noppert, with Price beating Chris Dobey 4-2 and Van Veen seeing off James Wade by the same margin.

Littler's eventful semi-final against Price saw the Welshman come back from a set down four times to force a decider, where the Ice Man broke after scruffy finishing from Littler but missed a match dart on tops for a 107 finish in the next.

The teenager responded by sneaking victory in the deciding leg, while Humphries breezed past Van Veen with a 107.8 average and by winning 10 out of 12 legs before ending runner-up to Littler.

"You look back on the game [against Littler] and it's hard to pick holes in it because it was such a great game of darts," Humphries said. "The only hole was the three at double top, which is the kind of pressure he puts you under.

"You need to hit them shots and if you don't then you don't win the game. If I hit that shot, the possibility is I go on to win the game. He has shown that true class. I said to him at the end I don't think he has a heart - he never folds under pressure.

"You try your hardest to put him under it but he never folds. It may be premature, but I think he's the greatest darts player that's ever lived."

What's next?

Premier League Darts is back for a new season on Thursday, live on Sky Sports, with Newcastle hosting the opening night of 17-week schedule in venues across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

The opening night sees Littler take on Van Veen - in a repeat of the World Darts Championship final, with Jonny Clayton or Rock awaiting the winner, while Humphries plays fellow former world champion Price and Michael Van Gerwen goes up against Stephen Bunting.

Sky Sports remains the home of the Premier League in 2026, with every night exclusively live along with the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and more. Stream darts and more top sport with no contract.

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