Luke Humphries called Luke Littler “the greatest darts player who has ever lived” after the teenager won his first World Masters title to become the joint-third most successful player in the PDC era.
The 19-year-old beat world number two Humphries 6-5 and now has 11 major PDC titles, leaving him level with James Wade and behind only Michael van Gerwen (48) and Phil Taylor (79).
Beaten finalist Humphries told ITV4: “You look back on the whole game. It’s hard to pick holes in it. It’s only the three at double top [he missed].
“That’s the pressure he puts you under. He has shown that through class. He never folds under pressure.
“I think he’s the greatest darts player who has ever lived.”
The win for Littler, which followed on from beating Gerwyn Price 5-4 in a terrific match in the semi-finals, has left the European Championship as the only major television PDC title still to be won by the two-time world champion.
A high-quality finale saw 25 maximums thrown as the lead changed hands multiple times before Littler eventually nailed his favourite double 10 to seal the £100,000 first prize.
After a semi-final that saw Price miss a match dart, Littler upped his level from the start. A stunning 153 checkout laid down the gauntlet to Humphries, but the world number two came into the final having beaten Gian van Veen 5-0 in the last four and continued in that form by winning the opening set.
Littler, who averaged 104.72 to Humphries’ 105.51 in the final, then powered into a 3-1 lead, hitting a 121 finish along the way. But Humphries did not want to concede the title he won last year and levelled the match.
With the score at 3-1 to the world champion, Humphries rallied with 10 and 13-dart legs on his way to levelling the match.
Littler missed three darts to move into a 5-3 lead and Humphries capitalised to level again before hitting his first 100-plus checkout on his way to moving one set away from another title.
The world number one said he had “absolutely nothing left” at that stage but was able to “dig deep”.
“I’m shattered, absolutely knackered. Going into the last break at 5-4 [down], I said I have nothing left, absolutely nothing, but I just managed to dig deep,” Littler said.
“I was fully focussed and managed to get the job done. It has been a weird week and tough at times but this is why we battle every game and every leg, and I’ve come out victorious.
“It has been me and Luke in the first major of the year and I’m sure it will continue.”
Ultimately, Littler’s surge after the final break proved crucial. He reeled off legs in 13 and then 12 darts to force a deciding set.
A break of throw in the first leg of the deciding set gave Littler control and he did not let it slip. One dart at double 10 was all he needed to land his first World Masters title.
All four of the semi-finalists will be back in action when the 2026 Premier League starts in Newcastle on Thursday.