Sensational Humphries rounds off 2024 European Tour in style storming to his second  Czech Darts Open title

Luke Humphries crushed Kim Huybrechts 8-1 in Prague on Sunday to win his second Czech Darts Open title.

Humphries let up just 11 legs in his five games in the Czech city, putting on one of the best European Tour campaigns ever to win the £30,000 top prize.

With three 6-2 victories against Ritchie Edhouse, Gian van Veen, and Mike De Decker to start the season, the 29-year-old recorded a hat-trick of ton-plus averages.

Before exacting revenge on De Decker for losing to him in last week’s World Grand Prix final, Humphries destroyed Van Veen with a 106 average after defeating Edhouse.

Later, the world number one defeated Luke Littler in a thrilling semifinal match, averaging 108.56 in a high-caliber encounter to deprive the 17-year-old a third European Tour title of 2024.

After that, Humphries took the lead early in Sunday’s main event with consecutive 16-darters, but Huybrechts cut the deficit in half in the third leg.

But after he recovered his two-leg lead to take a 3-1 lead, Humphries produced three straight 12-darters to seize complete control, including a beautiful 132 checkout on the bull in leg five.

Humphries’ unrelenting genius was too great for Huybrechts to match, and the World Champion won his ninth European Tour title with a merciless triumph.

“When I beat Ritchie Edhouse on Saturday I felt good, but I felt I needed a spark, and I found it today,” reflected Humphries, who averaged 105.57 and pinned eight of his 12 attempts at double to dispatch Huybrechts.

“When I beat Gian I felt that spark again, but I still know there’s another level in me, and I believe I can get better.

“It’s nice to bounce back [from the World Grand Prix], because when you lose in major finals it’s not easy; it does hurt you, so this is a nice way to finish my ProTour season.

“I’m going to come back next year and I’m going to work harder. I’m going to change things and I’m going to win more – that’s my commitment to the game!”

Huybrechts – featuring in his sixth European Tour final – was unable to cap off a remarkable campaign with victory, although he was determined to take the positives on his big stage return.

“I’m happy to reach another final,” declared the Belgian number three.

“I wasn’t even in this event originally. I lost in qualification and now I’m in the final!

“This game [against Luke] came too early for me. Last week I was struggling to make the World Championship, so to be in a final against the world number one, it was always going to be tough.

“Give me another year or 18 months – when I have this flow in me, then I will give him a game!”

After defeating Luke Woodhouse, Pavel Drtil, Jermaine Wattimena, and Niels Zonneveld, Huybrechts made an incredible run to the Prague final and took home £12,000 in prize money.

In 2024, the Belgian was unable to get past a single European Tour qualifier; nevertheless, Rob Cross’s illness-related withdrawal gave Huybrechts a surprising chance this weekend.

In a thrilling second round decider on Saturday, the 38-year-old defeated Woodhouse in a ten-darter match, which he supported with 6-4 victories over Wattimena and Host Nation Qualifier Drtil.

In the semi-finals, Huybrechts defeated a distraught Zonneveld after surviving a match dart, so losing the Dutchman a spot at the European Championship next week.

After defeating Dave Chisnall, Ricardo Pietreczko, and Jonny Clayton to advance to his first European Tour semi-final, Zonneveld’s victory over Huybrechts would have placed him in the 32-player field in place of Dirk van Duijvenbode.

In other news, Littler’s run to the final four set a new record. During an incredible weekend of play, the teenage sensation averaged 110, 116, 110, and 106.

The Warrington wonderkid defeated Nathan Aspinall 6-1 in round two before defeating Damon Heta in an exciting last-16 match with an average of 116.51, setting a new tournament record.

After that, Littler easily defeated Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling quarterfinal match, winning 6-1. The Dutchman’s losing average in the match was 112.19, the highest in European Tour history.

Wattimena, a fellow countryman, joined Van Gerwen in the quarterfinals. The final eight also included world number six Clayton and World Grand Prix winner De Decker.

Sensational Humphries rounds off 2024 European Tour in style storming to his second  Czech Darts Open title

Sunday October 20

Afternoon Session

Third Round

Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Ricardo Pietreczko

Jonny Clayton 6-2 Michael Smith

Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Pavel Drtil

Jermaine Wattimena 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld

Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Alan Soutar

Luke Littler 6-3 Damon Heta

Luke Humphries 6-2 Gian van Veen

Mike De Decker 6-2 Martin Schindler

Evening Session

Quarter-Finals

Niels Zonneveld 6-4 Jonny Clayton

Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Jermaine Wattimena

Luke Littler 6-1 Michael van Gerwen

Luke Humphries 6-2 Mike De Decker

Semi-Finals

Kim Huybrechts 7-6 Niels Zonneveld

Luke Humphries 7-4 Luke Littler

Final

Luke Humphries 8-1 Kim Huybrechts