Lethal Luke Seals Superb Stuttgart Success

Luke Humphries claimed his third European Tour title of 2022 with a nail-biting 8-7 win over Rob Cross in Sunday’s Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix final.

In a repeat of last weekend’s Czech Darts Open final, Humphries held it together to clinch a third £25,000 European Tour triumph of 2022 in style.

Cross this time took the final all the way to a deciding leg but fell just short of victory as his search for a first European Tour title goes on.

Cool Hand At The Double

Humphries improved as the day went on, firstly seeing off Joe Murnan 6-3 in the third round. He then dismissed Brendan Dolan in the quarter-finals without dropping a leg and then posting a huge 108 average in a 7-4 semi-final defeat of reigning world champion Peter Wright.

Cross took the final’s opening leg on double 18 and only for Humphries to respond to move 3-1 up.

Both players held throw for the next four legs, a sequence that included an incredible leg where Humphries scored 21, 180 and a second 180 before finishing 120 for a 12-darter and a 5-3 lead.

Humphries then powered in an 11-darter to break throw for a three-leg lead.

Superb legs of 13 and 14 darts from Cross saw the gap closed to one leg, before a nerveless 121 bullseye finish saw Humphries move to within a leg of victory at 7-5.

‘Cool Hand’ had darts to seal the title in the next two legs but they went begging as Cross forced a deciding leg.

Cross was first to a finish in the final leg, but after failing to give himself a dart at a double on a 118 finish, Humphries stepped in to take out 108 for victory.

Cross began Sunday’s final stages in jaw dropping fashion by landing a 170 checkout and hitting six out of six on doubles in a third round win over Krzysztof Ratajski.

Rowby-John Rodriguez was defeated in the quarter-finals by a 6-4 scoreline before averaging 110.73 in his 7-4 semi-final defeat of Damon Heta.

Rest of Sunday’s Action

Australian Heta was appearing in his second European Tour semi-final of 2022 after enjoying wins in deciding legs against Ryan Searle and Martin Schindler on Sunday.

Peter Wright had a strong weekend with 6-1 wins over Premier League leader Jonny Clayton and UK Open champion Danny Noppert, a match where he averaged 111.

Rodriguez reached his second successive European Tour quarter-final following a third round win over an out of sorts Daryl Gurney. Noppert was in the last eight for the third time this year.

Brendaan Dolan’s win over Andrew Gilding earned him a first European Tour quarter-final since last September. Martin Schindler was the best of the home contingent home star as he reached the last eight.

Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix

Sunday May 22

Afternoon Session

Third Round

Martin Schindler 6-5 Martin Lukeman

Damon Heta 6-5 Ryan Searle

Rowby-John Rodriguez 6-3 Daryl Gurney

Rob Cross 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski

Brendan Dolan 6-3 Andrew Gilding

Luke Humphries 6-3 Joe Murnan

Peter Wright 6-1 Jonny Clayton

Danny Noppert 6-4 Nathan Rafferty

Evening Session

Quarter-Finals

Damon Heta 6-5 Martin Schindler

Rob Cross 6-4 Rowby-John Rodriguez

Luke Humphries 6-0 Brendan Dolan

Peter Wright 6-1 Danny Noppert

Semi-Finals

Rob Cross 7-4 Damon Heta

Luke Humphries 7-4 Peter Wright

Final

Luke Humphries 8-7 Rob Cross