Luke Littler secured a maiden Boyle Sports World Grand Prix title and moved closer to the world No 1 spot after a statement 6-1 victory over Luke Humphries in Leicester.

The world’s top two renewed their rivalry after setting the dream final at the Mattioli Arena, where Littler won the first two sets in final-leg deciders and agonisingly missed the bullseye for a nine-dart leg immediately after the break.

Littler closed out the third and fourth sets in final-leg deciders but Humphries reduced the deficit by taking the fifth set with a 154 checkout, before the 18-year-old won the next two to complete an emphatic victory.

The latest TV major success for Littler follows wins at the World Championship, UK Open and World Matchplay during another impressive campaign, while 2023 champion Humphries – who edged Littler 93.61 to 92.15 in the averages – finished runner-up for the second successive year.

Littler’s victory also sees him close within £70,000 of Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit, increasing the possibility of him moving top of the world rankings before his World Championship title defence this December.

“[£70,000] is not a lot of prize money, given what us guys play for,” Littler told Sky Sports about his pursuit of world No 1. “Luke [Humphries] will know I’m behind his back now and I’m on to him.”

How Littler secured statement Leicester title

Littler opened with a 16-dart hold but took a staggering 13 darts to get started in the next, then responded to Humphries’ 13-dart break by breaking back with a 66 finish and snatching the set in a final-leg decider.

The Nuke capitalised on missed doubles from Humphries to win the first two legs of the second, where Humphries posted 13 and 11-dart legs before Littler delivered a 64 checkout to move into a two-set advantage.

Littler fired eight perfect darts during the opening leg of the third, missing the bullseye in pursuit of delivering just the fourth nine-darter in the tournament’s history, then recovered from wasting two set darts to seal the set with a 104 finish.

A shellshocked Humphries replied to Littler starting the fourth with a 116 finish by nailing 149 and 110 checkouts in successive legs, dragging the set to another final leg from 2-0 down, but Littler pinned D10 in the decider to move four clear.

Humphries’ persistence saw him reel off four straight legs, raising his arms aloft after taking out a 154 checkout to win the fifth with a 12-dart break, only for Littler to take out a 90 finish in the next and close out the sixth set with a stunning 11-darter.

A relentless Littler nailed a 98 finish and added another ton-plus outshot to move within a leg of victory, before a 14-dart hold – in another final-leg decider – closed out a seventh different major title in less than two years.

Humphries after Littler thrashing: ‘I have to get better’

Littler’s victory is his second consecutive win over Humphries in a televised final, having also beaten him at the New Zealand Darts Masters this summer, with the world No 1 admitting he has work to do to keep up with the new World Grand Prix champion.

“He was so clinical in the first four sets,” Humphries told Sky Sports. “When I was 4-0 down I just wanted to give the crowd something. I wasn’t playing for myself, I was playing for the crowd because the game had got away from me.

“It’s hard to take. It’s disappointing because I felt I was going to give him a better game than I did. I have to just get better. I have to work harder. If I don’t, he will walk away with it all the time.

“I need to work harder than I ever have because I want to match him.”

Littler, who is now only three titles away from winning every PDC premier event, told Sky Sports: “Very happy to tick it off. It’s not the easiest tournament to win. This week has been so tough.

“Now I’ve picked the trophy up, it’s one I can tick off and there’s not many left. I’ve got to perform the big out-shots, the big scores when Luke [Humphries] does put me under pressure.

“I think I played very well tonight. Luke was always behind me, I couldn’t step off the gas. I’m very happy to win.”

What’s next?

The PDC ProTour continues with Players Championship events in Wigan on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the German Darts Championship start on Friday – the final event to qualify for the Machineseeker European Championship the following week.

The next TV major live on Sky Sports is the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton from November 8-16, before the World Darts Championship runs from December 11-January at the Alexandra Palace. Stream darts, football, golf, cricket and more contract-free with NOW.