Players Championship Finals 2025: Shock Humphries Exit as Littler Shines on Opening Day

The opening day of the 2025 Players Championship Finals at Butlin’s Minehead had everything: huge averages, late drama and some of the biggest names in darts heading home early. Defending champion Luke Humphries crashed out in round one, while new world No. 1 Luke Littler produced a ruthless display to underline his title credentials.

Humphries Stunned as Van Veen Extends Remarkable Head-to-Head

Luke Humphries’ defence of the Players Championship Finals crown ended far sooner than expected as he was beaten in a thrilling last-leg decider by Gian van Veen.

Humphries exploded out of the blocks, racing into a 3–0 lead and threatening to run away with the contest. He looked poised to stretch the gap to four legs before van Veen turned the entire match on its head with a spectacular 161 checkout to get on the board.

The young Dutch star used that moment as a launchpad, gradually reeling Humphries in before moving 5–4 ahead after winning three legs on the spin. Humphries dug deep to force a deciding leg, and van Veen appeared to have blown his chance after missing a total of five match darts across the closing stages.

But the Dutchman finally found the winning double to seal a 6–5 victory and book his place in round two. The result extends van Veen’s impressive head-to-head record this year, marking his fourth straight win over Humphries in 2025, including their clash in last month’s European Championship final.

Littler Lays Down a Ruthless Marker

While Humphries suffered heartbreak, Luke Littler delivered a performance that will have sent a clear message to the rest of the field.

The newly crowned world No. 1, fresh from his Grand Slam triumph, brushed aside Jeffrey de Graaf in a 6–1 demolition. De Graaf pinched the opening leg, but from there it was one-way traffic as Littler reeled off six consecutive legs.

Littler averaged 104 in a display full of authority and composure, barely giving his opponent a sniff. It was the kind of clinical, controlled performance that suggests the teenager has arrived in Minehead with serious intentions of lifting another major title.

Price, Anderson, Wright and Aspinall Progress in Evening Session

The evening session on the main stage also saw some of the sport’s biggest names safely negotiate their opening tests.

• Gerwyn Price delivered a solid performance to see off Max Hopp 6–2.
• Josh Rock impressed with a 6–3 victory over Gabriel Clemens, showing flashes of the scoring power that has made him one of the tour’s most exciting talents.
• Martin Schindler gave the German fans something to cheer as he defeated an ailing Michael Smith 6–4 in the opening match of the night.
• Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright all recorded comfortable wins to move into round two without too much stress.

On Stage Two, experienced names such as Gary Anderson and Peter Wright took care of business, while the likes of Jermaine Wattimena, Ryan Searle, Krzysztof Ratajski and Justin Hood also booked their places in the next round.

Big Names Fall in Dramatic Afternoon Session

If the evening session was about Littler and van Veen, the afternoon belonged to the underdogs as several big names were dumped out of the tournament.

Former world champion Rob Cross, heavy scorer Dave Chisnall and former Premier League star Jonny Clayton all suffered first-round defeats.

• James Hurrell produced one of the standout performances of the day to beat Clayton, averaging just under 100 and never allowing the Welshman to settle.
• Ryan Joyce took full advantage of an unusually subdued display from Chisnall, whose average sat in the mid-80s as Joyce came through 6–4.
• Sebastian Bialecki dismantled Cross 6–2, punishing every mistake and producing a superb 154 checkout as the highlight of a mature performance.

There was also drama involving Cam Crabtree, who came from behind to beat Mike De Decker 6–5 in a match dominated by missed doubles from the Belgian. De Decker squandered an astonishing 17 darts at double, including six match darts, as Crabtree held his nerve in the decider.

Wade Efficient, Noppert Clinical, Lipscombe Impresses on Debut

James Wade showed his trademark composure to claim a 6–3 win over Mickey Mansell, registering a mid-90s average and a 50% success rate on his doubles. A slightly frosty handshake at the end hinted at a tense contest, but Wade was professional throughout and did exactly what was required.

Danny Noppert produced one of the most polished displays of the day in a 6–2 victory over Ricky Evans. The Grand Slam semi-finalist averaged 103.8 and fired in a brilliant 164 checkout, underlining his status as a serious contender this weekend.

Elsewhere, debutant Adam Lipscombe made a huge impact with a 6–1 demolition of Cameron Menzies, barely giving the Scot a look at a double in a one-sided encounter. There were also wins for Ross Smith, Andrew Gilding, Scott Williams and Bradley Brooks, all of whom safely advanced to round two.

Full Day One Results – Afternoon & Evening Sessions

Below is the complete list of results from both sessions on Day One of the 2025 Players Championship Finals.

Afternoon Session Results

Main Stage

• Sebastian Bialecki 6–2 Rob Cross
• Ryan Joyce 6–4 Dave Chisnall
• Cam Crabtree 6–5 Mike De Decker
• Danny Noppert 6–2 Ricky Evans
• James Wade 6–3 Mickey Mansell
• James Hurrell 6–3 Jonny Clayton
• Ross Smith 6–1 Ryan Meikle

Stage Two

• Bradley Brooks 6–1 Martin Lukeman
• Andrew Gilding 6–5 Dom Taylor
• Scott Williams 6–2 Ian White
• Nick Kenny 6–4 Niels Zonneveld
• Callan Rydz 6–4 Kevin Doets
• Adam Lipscombe 6–1 Cameron Menzies
• Daryl Gurney 6–3 Brendan Dolan
• Luke Woodhouse 6–2 Alan Soutar
• Ricardo Pietreczko 6–3 William O’Connor

Evening Session Results

Main Stage

• Martin Schindler 6–4 Michael Smith
• Josh Rock 6–3 Gabriel Clemens
• Gerwyn Price 6–2 Max Hopp
• Stephen Bunting 6–2 Ritchie Edhouse
• Luke Littler 6–1 Jeffrey de Graaf
• Gian van Veen 6–5 Luke Humphries
• Nathan Aspinall 6–3 Karel Sedlacek
• Chris Dobey 6–1 Keane Barry

Stage Two

• Jermaine Wattimena 6–3 Wesley Plaisier
• Ryan Searle 6–1 Darren Beveridge
• Richard Veenstra 6–5 Wessel Nijman
• Krzysztof Ratajski 6–3 Raymond van Barneveld
• Madars Razma 6–3 Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Gary Anderson 6–2 Mario Vandenbogaerde
• Peter Wright 6–3 Joe Cullen
• Justin Hood 6–4 Damon Heta