Littler wins first match as world number one at Players Championship Finals; Van Veen stuns Humphries in Minehead

Luke Littler secures his first match as world number one to progress at the Players Championship Finals, while Gian van Veen delivers a dramatic comeback to knock out Luke Humphries.

In Minehead, the 18-year-old Littler opened with a 6-1 win over Jeffrey de Graaf, averaging 104.46 as he pursues a first Players Championship title. "This is the title I haven’t won yet. Last year I came up short against Luke Humphries, so I want to tick this one off," Littler said after clinching the win.

He will meet Ross Smith in the next round after Smith defeated Ryan Meikle 6-1.

Earlier in the day, Gian van Veen produced another late rally, recovering from 0-3 down to beat defending champion Luke Humphries 6-5. Humphries opened with checkouts of 145, 40 and 83, but Van Veen answered with finishes of 161 and 81 on the bull and then pressed home a dramatic deciding leg as both players missed chances.

Humphries, who surrendered the world No.1 crown to Littler earlier in the month at the Grand Slam of Darts final, later fell to a fourth consecutive defeat to Van Veen.

In other results, top seed Gerwyn Price beat Max Hopp 6-2 after a slower start from Hopp, while Stephen Bunting defeated Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 and Nathan Aspinall saw off Karel Sedlacek 6-3.

Former world champion Raymond van Barneveld was edged out 6-3 by Krzysztof Ratajski, with Rob Cross, Dave Chisnall and Jonny Clayton all losing in the afternoon session. James Hurrell posted a 99.2 average to defeat Clayton, and James Wade beat Mickey Mansell 6-3.

Key takeaway: Littler makes a confident start as world No.1, while Van Veen’s resilience underlines the depth and drama unfolding at Minehead. BBC Sport

Discover the latest news and current events in Sports News as of 21-11-2025. The article titled " Littler wins first match as world number one at Players Championship Finals; Van Veen stuns Humphries in Minehead " provides you with the most relevant and reliable information in the Sports News field. Each news piece is thoroughly analyzed to deliver valuable insights to our readers.

The information in " Littler wins first match as world number one at Players Championship Finals; Van Veen stuns Humphries in Minehead " helps you make better-informed decisions within the Sports News category. Our news articles are continuously updated and adhere to journalistic standards.