Humphries wins Premier League opener in Belfast
World number one Luke Humphries thrashed Chris Dobey 6-1 to win the 2025 Premier League's opening night in Belfast but insisted Luke Littler was the best player in the world.
Humphries, who lifted the World Masters title on Sunday, boasted an 86% success rate on his doubles and three 100-plus checkouts in the all-English encounter.
He had trailed 4-3 in his semi-final against Michael van Gerwen, but won a deciding leg to progress after the Dutchman faltered on his doubles and missed a match dart at bullseye.
"I think this is the hardest Premier League for a long, long time. For me, nights like this, you've got to be careful or they might not happen as often as you want," said Humphries.
Van Gerwen earlier triumphed 6-5 in a breathtaking quarter-final against world champion Luke Littler, who averaged 113.91 – the highest average at the venue and the second-highest losing mark in the competition's history.
"He's by far one of the greatest darts players I've seen in my career," said Humphries, who beat Littler to win the world title in 2024.
"I'm not disrespecting myself, I just think he's the best player in the world and if he goes out, then I'm the man to beat. But he is definitely the one to beat."
Dobey was also 4-3 down in the semis, but hit a 'big fish' 170 checkout to level against 2018 world champion Rob Cross as he reeled off three straight legs to win.
Van Gerwen beats Littler in thriller
Van Gerwen reached the semi-finals in a rematch of last month's final at Alexandra Palace where Littler became darts' youngest world champion, aged 17.
There was a little bit of added spice to the build-up when Van Gerwen criticised the teenager's timekeeping at a media day on Wednesday.
Defending champion Littler kept his fellow players waiting 45 minutes for an outdoor photo shoot and said he had overslept after taking a morning nap.
"They need to stop treating him like a baby. He's not a baby any more, he's 18 years old now," Van Gerwen said.
Littler said before the match: "He's not wrong, I was late. I'm 18 now, responsible for my actions and did get a little telling off."
There was no hanging about when the pair reached the oche as they traded 11-dart legs before Littler's 161 checkout made it 2-2.
Van Gerwen hit a 114 finish to go 4-3 ahead but went on to miss four match darts and Littler nailed bullseye to force a decider, before the Dutchman finally prevailed on double eight.
He averaged 105.91 while Littler had the highest losing average since Phil Taylor posted 115.8 in his defeat to Raymond van Barneveld in Glasgow in 2015.
Humphries saw off Nathan Aspinall 6-2, while Stephen Bunting's return to the Premier League after a decade away ended with a 6-4 loss to Cross.
Dobey edged the finishing as he beat Wales' 2021 world champion Gerwyn Price 6-4 in the opening match.
Premier League Darts night 1 results
Final
Luke Humphries 6-1 Chris Dobey
Semi-finals
Chris Dobey 6-4 Rob Cross
Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Luke Humphries
Quarter-finals
Chris Dobey 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Stephen Bunting 4-6 Rob Cross
Luke Littler 5-6 Michael van Gerwen
Nathan Aspinall 2-6 Luke Humphries
Premier League Darts table
Premier League Darts format and points system
Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with weeks 8 and 16's fixtures determined by the league table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.
Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 29 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.
If players are level on points after the 16 weeks, then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.
Premier League Darts night 2 order of play
13 February in Glasgow, 19:00 GMT
Quarter-finals
Rob Cross v Luke Littler
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall v Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries v Chris Dobey
