Luke Humphries was magnanimous in defeat as he was beaten in the Premier League final by Luke Littler.
Over 14,000 packed the O2 Arena on Play-Offs night, as the top four players from the league phase competed for the title in front of the biggest UK crowd in PDC history.
Amid this atmosphere, Humphries took time before his opening match to offer condolences to former Premier League champion Glen Durrant, who had lost his father just days prior, a gesture which visibly touched the veteran as the pair embraced.
Humphries then made short work of reigning champion Michael van Gerwen in his semi-final, defeating the Dutchman 10-5 to set up a repeat of the World Championship final against Littler.
As he made his way to the stage the crowd were at fever pitch, anticipating another epic clash between the two players widely accepted as being the world’s best.
Littler was able to carve out an early 2-0 lead as Humphries made a slow start, but the world number one was able to fire back with an 11-dart break in the third leg, before levelling the scores at 2-2.
Both would hold their throw across the next six legs, trading huge checkout finishes and battling to a 5-5 score line in a race to 11.
It was following the interval that Littler would provide the necessary magic to break the deadlock, producing a nine-dart finish to become only the second player since Phil Taylor to do so in a Premier League final.
Humphries never appeared beaten, but it was at this point where a shift in momentum could be felt.
He battled to the end with a sensational tops-tops 134 finish to bring the score to 7-9, but consecutive 13-dart legs from Littler would prove to be enough to take the win.
A gracious Humphries showed respect in defeat.
“Tonight Luke was much stronger than I was, and if you look at the season as a whole, he deserved to be Premier League champion.
“We’re the best two players in the world at the moment, and it was another great battle. I just love playing him, and we’re going to have plenty more battles in the future.
“I’m really proud to make the final. Of course I’m gutted not to win, but I’ve made six out of seven major finals now, and I can only build on this.”
Having averaged 102.47 in defeat, this final was yet more evidence of how this generation of players is raising the bar to new heights, with Humphries and Littler its brightest stars.
