World Matchplay - Humphries and Van Gerwen in significant Darts-Finale
The two major favorites Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen have reached the final at the second most important Darts tournament and will now face each other directly. At the World Matchplay in Blackpool, the English World Champion Humphries clearly defeated his fellow countryman James Wade with 17:10. In the following match of the two former World Champions, van Gerwen set himself through against Michael Smith with 17:13.
"I have to be better in the final, but I'm here and that's all that matters", said van Gerwen, who wants to win the tournament for the fourth time after 2015, 2016 and 2022. The former dominator is an outsider against Primus Humphries. "Luke is a great player and he has really played well lately, so I have to show him first that I'm in control", said "Mighty Mike", as van Gerwen is called.
Humphries is in the final of the World Matchplay for the first time. With a win, he could further expand his already comfortable lead in the World Ranking. The final (21.15 hours/DAZN) is one of the longest Darts matches of the year. The winner must decide 18 legs. The German participants Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko had already been eliminated in the first round.
Luke Humphries will be competing in the World Matchplay final, a tournament held annually in Blackpool, United Kingdom, which is co-organized by the PDC. This is Humphries' first time reaching the final of this second most important Darts tournament. Michael van Gerwen, a four-time World Matchplay champion, also advanced to the final, securing his spot against Humphries. The two finalists have impressive international reputations, with Humphries being the English World Champion and van Gerwen being a popular figure in darts circles, known as "Mighty Mike" in Germany.
