Humphries hits nine-darter in World Masters win

Defending champion Luke Humphries hit a nine-dart finish on his way to a hard-fought win over Luke Woodhouse in the last 16 of the World Masters – after world champion Luke Littler also progressed to the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Humphries, 30, delighted the Milton Keynes crowd with the perfect leg to take a 2-0 lead, but fellow Englishman Woodhouse battled back to level the tie at 3-3.

The world number two then missed three darts for the match, allowing 37-year-old Woodhouse to force a last-leg shootout. Humphries finally sealed his 4-3 victory by taking out double 10.

“It was a really close game,” said Humphries, who faces Dutchman Danny Noppert next.

Littler, meanwhile, safely made it through to the last eight by beating fellow Englishman Ross Smith.

The 19-year-old had a tough time on Friday against Mike de Decker before defeating the Belgian 3-2.

But against Smith, 37, he averaged nearly 108 to win 4-1 and will meet Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock in the next round.

Littler, who is aiming to lift a first Masters title, said he was glad to get through, adding: “It was far better than last night – that is what I had to do against Ross.”

Noppert thrashed former Masters champion Stephen Bunting 4-0 and was a level above during their contest, sealing the opening set with an average of 107 and continuing to dominate.

In the other last-16 ties, world number three Gian van Veen defeated Nathan Aspinall 4-2, with the Dutchman set to face England’s James Wade in the quarter-finals after he beat Scot Gary Anderson 4-3.