Luke Littler served up a classy response following his defeat to Luke Humphries at the European Grand Prix on Saturday evening. The pair were vying for a spot in the last-16 stage of the tournament, with Humphries running out a narrow 6-5 winner.
It was the standout match on a pulsating night of action in Germany, with Humphries finally snapping his losing run against Littler. The reigning world champion had been winless against the teen since they met at the Alexandra Palace – a run of six consecutive matches.
Edging a nail-biting contest, Humphries appeared to cheekily taunt Littler after the match. Pointing to his wrist, Humphries jokingly suggested it was about time he’d beaten Littler, with the 17-year-old having got the better of him in recent months.
Littler was quick to see the funny side though, as he laughed along with Humphries’ joke, while offering his competitor an on-stage hug – in what was a classy moment and another illustration of the pair’s growing friendship.
Humphries had been made to work for his first win since January against Littler. ‘Cool Hand Luke’ notched up an impressive 11-dart leg in the final round to break Littler’s throw, after the Runcorn-born ace missed a match dart at bullseye earlier in the leg.
The duo – who both averaged above 100 across the 11 legs – endured a to-and-fro evening, with both players taking the lead at one stage. The only time either player enjoyed anything more than a one-point lead was after the fourth leg, with Humphries extending his advantage to 3-1, before being pegged back shortly after.
Elsewhere in the competition, Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith were among the big-hitters to progress into the last 16. Smith did so in a similarly nervy fashion to Humphries, toppling Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 in a back-and-forth contest.
It means there are some tasty ties to look forward to on Sunday, with Anderson and Price paired against each other, while Michael van Gerwen faces a showdown against ex-Premier League ace Jonny Clayton.
Humphries’ reward for beating Littler is another tough match, this time against world No.17 Stephen Bunting. Whereas Dave Chisnall will take on crowd-favourite Gabriel Clemens at the event in Germany.
