Premier League Darts 2025: Luke Humphries breezes to opening-night win in Belfast as Michael van Gerwen beats Luke Littler in traditional

Luke Humphries obtained his BetMGM Premier League 2025 marketing campaign off to an ideal begin with a dominant 6-1 victory over Chris Dobey within the Evening One ultimate in Belfast.

Humphries made a fast begin within the ultimate and within the blink of an eye fixed was 3-0 up, 128 and 100 checkouts serving to him dominate.

Dobey struggled on the doubles and that enabled world No 1 Humphries to increase his benefit with one other 100 end, ‘Hollywood’ lastly managing to get on the board with a clutch 126 within the sixth leg.

Nonetheless, that solely delayed the inevitable as Humphries got here again on his throw to wrap issues up on tops, a outstanding 86 per cent on the doubles cementing the authoritative win.

Though very early days, he now sits prime of the Premier League desk on 5 factors.

“I think this is the hardest Premier League for a long time. Nights like this might not happen as much as you want,” Humphries advised Sky Sports activities.

“The final two years I have not obtained off to an excellent begin, so it is good to get off to an excellent begin.

“I did great last year and I’m hoping to do the same this year.”

Humphries stayed sturdy in opposition to Michael van Gerwen to win a 6-5 last-leg shoot-out to get via to the ultimate.

Van Gerwen fought again brilliantly with some huge scoring to deliver the sport to 4-3 after being 3-1 down, however then dropped off and allowed Humphries to reinstate his dominance, a silky 120 checkout placing the world No 1 one leg away from the ultimate.

With the match then in a decider, the Dutchman missed match darts on the bullseye and Humphries got here to the oche to clinch 45 on D16.

Dobey booked his spot within the ultimate with a 6-4 win over Rob Cross, large ‘Massive Fish’ and ‘Shanghai’ checkouts serving to him on the way in which.

In a topsy-turvy encounter, Dobey took three legs on the spin earlier than world No 4 Cross hit again with three of his personal, two breaks of throw serving to ‘Hollywood’ decide up some huge factors on opening evening.

MVG and Littler placed on Premier League traditional

Van Gerwen began his evening by getting some revenge on Luke Littler for his World Darts Championship ultimate defeat, successful in an exciting final-leg decider as Littler made historical past with the second-highest Premier League dropping common ever – a mind-blowing 113.91.

In what was an all-time Premier League traditional, Littler was motoring on with a median of over 121 within the early levels and took out a mega 161 for a break of throw, his doubling all through spectacular at 45 per cent.

Nonetheless, Van Gerwen hit again with a break of his personal and a 114 checkout to assist him transfer to 5-4 up, earlier than missed match darts allowed ‘The Nuke’ to pin 87 on the bullseye.

With the encounter tense at 5-5 and the 180s nonetheless flowing, a stray dart into T7 took away Littler’s probability to complete off 167 and the ‘Inexperienced Machine’ checked out 25 on D8 for an enormous victory.

Within the different quarter-finals, Gerwyn Value misplaced 6-4 to Dobey within the opening match, earlier than Cross held off a Stephen Bunting fightback to win 6-4 and Humphries comfortably noticed off Nathan Aspinall 6-2.

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