Players Championship Drama: Luke Humphries Falls Short in Final Following Luke Littler's Unexpected Early Departure.

Multi Sports General

Players Championship Drama: Luke Humphries Falls Short in Final Following Luke Littler's Unexpected Early Departure.

Luke Humphries, the reigning world champion, faced defeat in the final of the eighth Players Championship event after Luke Littler made an unexpected early exit.

Humphries had a strong run in Leicester, defeating Gary Anderson and Chris Dobey on his way to the final, where he ultimately lost 8-6 to Danny Noppert. 

Noppert's precise finishing proved crucial in overcoming Humphries.

Meanwhile, Luke Littler, the 17-year-old sensation, faced an early exit after losing 6-5 to Kevin Doets in the third round. 

Despite recent successes in the Premier League, including back-to-back wins, Littler missed a crucial double in the deciding leg, leading to his second consecutive early departure from the tournament.

In another surprising turn, Michael van Gerwen was knocked out in the last-32 stage, losing 6-4 to Andrew Gilding.