The Sports Guru
Luke Humphries lost the first three sets of the World Grand Prix final and still won 6-4. This article looks at the moments that swung the match, why Gerwyn Price's wasted chances weighed as heavily as Humphries' scoring, and what the result means as the TV majors return.
Gerwyn Price looked to be cruising at 3-0, and then Luke Humphries dismantled the lead. The 6-4 victory in Leicester ended a major drought for Humphries and prolonged one for Price. It also raises an uncomfortable question: did the losing finalist actually play the better darts for long periods?
A first set that looked like a verdict
At the Mattioli Arena, Price made a dazzling start, taking the opening set in only 34 darts. He held in 12 darts at both ends, and in between broke Humphries by starting with six perfect darts and finishing on a 10-darter. Humphries won a leg early in the second set but then missed three darts that would have broken Price. Price made him pay, checking out 101 and 82 to move two sets clear.
The third set had a similar shape. Another 101 outshot gave Price the break. Humphries hit 109 to rescue the set, but Price still took it in a final-leg decider. Three sets up in a first-to-six final, Price was the heavy favourite on any normal reading.
The 105 that rescued the final
Everything hinged on the fourth set. Price hit a 130 checkout on the bullseye, while Humphries relied on a run of key doubles to hang on. He took the set with a 105 finish in the last leg. Had Price won it, he would have been 4-0 ahead.
Humphries sees it the same way. He described the 180 and 105 outshot in that set as the biggest shot of his career, saying that if Price goes 4-0 up "then it's game over". He added that he relaxed at 3-1. That is his own version of events, though what happened next is consistent with it.
Humphries then won four sets on the bounce. He took the fifth through a four-leg run and moved in front in the sixth, where Price produced finishes of 99 and 94 before Humphries hit back and took the set. Price, visibly rattled, went behind for the first time when Humphries hit an 11-darter on his own throw and broke in the following leg. A fourth straight set arrived on double 16.
The scoreline captures how one-sided the middle phase was. Humphries took six of the final seven sets, and Price's single reply came in the eighth.
Price's missed chances
The eighth set briefly brought Price back into it. He broke in a messy first leg and swept through the set to level. In the ninth he went ahead, one set short of the title, but let two set darts slip, and the final turned on those misses.
Humphries broke back and moved in front with a 10-darter. The next set went to him in straight legs, ending on an 11-darter. Across the last two sets he took five legs in a row, while Price was left thinking about the set darts that would have put him 5-4 up.
Price was candid afterwards. He praised Humphries' play through the middle of the match but felt he had wasted too many chances to apply pressure. He admitted he was gutted to lose yet another major final. Humphries' own admission that Price "was maybe the better player" points the same way.
That is interpretation rather than reported fact, but the numbers back it up. Humphries averaged 93.16 and hit 10 maximums, which are solid figures, yet the contest was decided by who finished better when it mattered. Price's early grip came from quick holds and big outshots, and the set darts he missed are what he takes away.
What the win means for Humphries
Humphries sidestepped a third successive runner-up finish at this event, having become the first player to reach the final four years in a row. This is his second World Grand Prix crown in four years, following a 5-2 victory over Price in 2023, and he is only the fourth player to win the title more than once. First prize was £150,000.
The relief may be personal as much as professional. He talked about lifting a "barren major run" from his shoulders and said a hard-earned win feels sweeter than an easy one. He is also looking forward to bringing the trophy home to his son, who can now see his dad win rather than finish second.
For a former world champion, the lesson is clear. Humphries felt he deserved a major, while accepting that he perhaps did not deserve this one on the night. The final suggests he can win even when he is not the better player on the day.
What it means for Price
Price's wait continues. He has no major title since the 2022 World Series Finals in Amsterdam. He is a 2020 champion of this event who led the final by three sets and stood a set from the win in the ninth.
He responded with humour: "I don't want to win a major, do I?!" He then said it bothered him and that he would get over it. It reads as another defeat against a familiar rival rather than a meltdown, yet it is still a second final lost to Humphries at this event.
The road to Wolverhampton and Ally Pally
The European Tour carries on with the Swiss Darts Trophy (October 9-11) and the Dutch Darts Championship (October 16-18). The European Championship then arrives in Dortmund from October 22-25.
Sky Sports' next live TV major is the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, from November 14-22. The World Darts Championship then runs from December 11 to January 3 at Alexandra Palace, with Luke Littler defending both titles. Humphries now heads into those events with a major win in his pocket, and Price with a final he will want to forget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Luke Humphries beat Gerwyn Price 6-4 at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, after trailing 3-0.
Humphries' 105 finish in the deciding leg of the fourth set stopped Price going 4-0 ahead. Humphries called it the biggest shot of his career.
The first prize was £150,000. It is his second World Grand Prix title, following a 5-2 final win over Price in 2023.
The Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton runs from November 14-22. The World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace starts on December 11.
Research: This article uses the archived evidence supplied for this story. Story inspiration: Sky Sports' original report.
