Humphries thus prevented Littler from becoming the youngest champion in history and, in addition to the 25 kilogram Sid Waddell Trophy, also received prize money of 500,000 pounds (575,000 euros). He also takes the top spot in the rankings with a comfortable cushion. The crowning moment for Littler did not materialize – also because Humphries always kept his nerve and with 23 he managed significantly more shots with the maximum of 180 points than Littler (13).
Although he came to the “Ally Pally” as junior world champion, such a series of successes including reaching the finals seemed completely unrealistic in advance. Littler fueled the hype with victories over former world champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross. The defeat in the final is a setback, but Humphries was clearly the best player of 2023 and went into the World Cup tournament as the favorite.
“Cool Hand Luke”, as Humphries is called, crowned his strong final spurt at the end of 2023. In the autumn he won the three majors World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals one after the other.
Mega hype about Littler
Littler had never been in danger at the previous World Cup. “Everywhere Luke Littler appears, he delivers,” said the super talent confidently about himself. “Nothing was difficult” for him until the final. Things were completely different against Humphries. The hype surrounding the youngster has become gigantic in the past few days and was reminiscent of the farewell of record world champion Phil Taylor in January 2018.
More and more media came to London and TV ratings in Great Britain skyrocketed. The fans reinterpreted the “Wonderland” song, which was otherwise sung by Taylor legend, to Littler. And football icon David Beckham personally congratulated him, as the teenager proudly told Sport1 before the final.
“The Nuke” picks up after a weak start
At the last World Cup final by 66-year-old cult referee Russ Bray, “The Nuke” – Littler’s nickname – actually showed nerves in front of 3,000 spectators, especially in the early stages. The first set was quickly lost. The display prominently showed how the man from near Liverpool took twelve shots without a triple. Humphries, on the other hand, started flawlessly.
But the youngster got stronger and drew attention with two difficult finishes (142 and 120). In the dynamic game, in which the commercial breaks lasted as long as the sets, the score was 2:2. The favorite had to smile again and again because of his young opponent’s rip-off.
IMAGO/Action Plus/Shaun Brooks Luke Littler finally found his match in Luke Humphries
Decisive turning point in the seventh movement
Fired up by the euphoric audience, the game was tight and exciting, with a consistently high pace of play. Littler put in a strong performance in the biggest game of his young career, taking a 4-2 lead and looking set to win.
In the deciding leg of the seventh set, however, the young star made a mistake that would become the crux of the game. While checking 112 points, Littler played the triple 18 twice – and was suddenly no longer sure which double to play. He had to think for the first time at the World Cup and even asked Bray. This caused him to lose his rhythm and miss the double 2. Humphries took advantage of the chance and instead of 5:2, Littler only led 4:3.
This gave the match a different dynamic. Humphries took command again and subsequently gave his opponent little real chance. He finally secured his triumph by winning five sets in a row.
It’s a dream come true for Humphries
“This title means everything to me that I have always dreamed of. A dream came true. I’m incredibly proud of it. I can’t put into words how great this feels,” Humphries said. “I especially dedicate this victory to my father because without him I wouldn’t be here. He always supported me and always believed in me. Luke (Littler, ed.) will dominate darts because he is an incredible talent.”
PDC-WM 2024 in London
Final (“Best of 13” sets): Luke Humphries (ENG/3) Luke Littler (ENG) 7:4 Semi-final (“Best of eleven” sets): Luke Littler (ENG) Rob Cross (ENG/8) 6 :2 Luke Humphries (ENG/3) Scott Williams (ENG) 6:0 Quarter-final (“Best of nine” sets): Rob Cross (ENG/8) Chris Dobey (ENG/17) 5:4 Luke Littler (ENG) Brendan Dolan (NIR/28) 5:1 Scott Williams (ENG) Michael van Gerwen (NED/2) 5:3 Luke Humphries (ENG/3) Dave Chisnall (ENG/11) 5:1 Round of 16 (“Best of seven” -Sets: Chris Dobey (ENG/17) Michael Smith (ENG/1) 4:0 Rob Cross (ENG/8) Jonny Clayton (WAL/9) 4:0 Luke Littler (ENG) Raymond van Barneveld (NED/29) ) 4:1 Brendan Dolan (NIR/28) Gary Anderson (SCO/21) 4:3 Michael van Gerwen (NED/2) Stephen Bunting (ENG/18) 4:0 Scott Williams (ENG) Damon Heta (AUS/10 ) 4:1 Luke Humphries (ENG/3) Joe Cullen (ENG/14) 4:3 Dave Chisnall (ENG/11) Daryl Gurney (NIR/27) 4:2
