Luke Littler will face Luke Humphries tonight in the final of the World Grand Prix at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena on Sunday after cruising past Jonny Clayton 5-1 in the semi-finals. The double-start showpiece will mark the sixth televised meeting between Littler and Humphries, with each player having claimed victories in previous encounters.
Littler triumphed in August’s World Series in Australia, while Humphries prevailed in May’s Premier League, setting the stage for an intriguing rematch. Littler has the opportunity to claim one of the few PDC majors missing from his collection, having exited in the first round of last year’s World Grand Prix.
For Humphries, the final represents his third consecutive appearance in the tournament. The world No. 1 aims to reclaim the title he won in 2023 and to avenge last year’s semi-final loss to Mike De Decker.
Littler reached the final with ruthless scoring, coming less than 24 hours after an epic quarter-final against Welsh star Gerwyn Price. He dominated the semi-final against 2021 champion Jonny Clayton, setting the tone with a 161 checkout in the opening set and quickly moving to a 2-0 lead. Clayton responded with finishes of 154 and 128, but Littler hit a 140 checkout in the deciding leg of the fourth set and then ran off six consecutive legs to seal the match.
“I’m really happy with the performance. That 140 was the big moment. Going 3-1 up settled me, and I think it killed Jonny off a bit,” Littler said after the win.
Humphries earned his place in the final with another commanding display, defeating Danny Noppert 5-3. The world No. 1 opened strongly with a 110 average, taking the first set with checkouts of 155 and 108, and averaged close to 116 in the third set to surge into a 3-0 lead. Noppert fought back to make it 4-3, but Humphries closed the match with finishes of 135 and 110 in the final set.
“It was a great game. Danny pushed me all the way, and I got a bit frustrated, but I came out fired up in the eighth set, and it seemed to work,” Humphries said. The victory made him only the third player, alongside Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, to reach three successive World Grand Prix finals.
Revenge will be on Littler’s mind after his Premier League defeat to Humphries, as well as the incentive of narrowing the gap to the world No. 1 spot. “I definitely owe Luke one. He’s got a great record here, but it’s all new for me. Last year I lost in the first round — now I’m in the final. Hopefully I can get the win and put some pressure on him for that top spot,” the Warrington native added.
Semi-Finals Results:
- Luke Humphries 5-3 Danny Noppert
- Luke Littler 5-1 Jonny Clayton
Final:
- Luke Humphries v Luke Littler
