Mike De Decker stuns Luke Humphries to win World Grand Prix
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Belgian player Mike De Decker managed to withstand a strong challenge from reigning champion Luke Humphries, securing a 6-4 victory in the World Grand Prix final held in Leicester. This win marks De Decker's first major championship title.
De Decker became the first Belgian to make it to a World Grand Prix final after defeating fellow countryman Dimitri Van den Bergh in the semifinals. He quickly jumped ahead, establishing a 4-1 advantage, but the world number one fought back to tie the match.
However, the 28-year-old stayed calm during the initial double set, going on to win the following two sets and secure the championship.
The two players exchanged wins in the first two sets, each of which came down to a final leg, before De Decker managed to take control.
He asserted that he won the third set without Humphries scoring even a single point.
Humphries realized he needed to make a comeback to win the fourth set but had difficulty starting with a double. Meanwhile, De Decker achieved an impressive finish of 154, which allowed him to establish a 3-1 lead as they both headed into the break.
De Decker appeared anxious when he couldn't eliminate eight, allowing Humphries to catch up and tie the fifth set at 2-2. However, the Belgian pulled himself together for the final leg, hitting double 16 after putting together some strong scores, which helped him take a 4-1 lead.
Even though it seemed like Humphries was about to lose, he suddenly came alive – hitting a 149 followed by an impressive 152 to tie the sixth set at 2-2. Then, 'Cool Hand' closed out the set with a 50, cutting down the lead.
The defending champion continued to hold the advantage in the seventh set. De Decker had opportunities but failed to hit doubles 16 and 8, while Humphries took advantage of this by hitting the top to secure another set, making the score 4-3.
In the eighth set, Humphries came close to completing a remarkable 170 finish but instead scored 25 with his last dart. This mistake opened the door for De Decker to push the match into a final leg.
Even though he initially missed a chance to win with a score of 67, the world number one made it on his second attempt, bringing the match to a tie.
After Humphries had another tough time trying to hit a double at the start of the fourth leg of the ninth set, De Decker managed to break the momentum by finishing with 80. This put him back in the lead at 5-4 as the players went off for another break.
De Decker took a 2-1 advantage in the 10th set and had the opportunity to win the championship. However, Humphries was the first to reach a finish with 120 points and hit double 10 to equalize, setting up yet another final leg.
As Humphries' scoring slowed down, De Decker hit a perfect 180 that put him in position for a checkout of 55. He finished it off in just two darts, nailing a double top to create a memorable conclusion to his first appearance in a televised final.
De Decker, ranked 36th in the PDC Order of Merit prior to his impressive performance at the Mattioli Arena, truly embodied his 'Real Deal' nickname by claiming the winner's prize of £120,000.
"It's weighty, but it feels incredible. I'm absolutely thrilled," the Belgian shared with Sky Sports. "I felt anxious at times, especially when it was 4-4, but I managed to pull through."
"I feel really good about how I've performed this week, but this achievement is the icing on the cake. Luke has played amazingly, and to be the one who comes out on top against him and takes home the trophy leaves me speechless."
Humphries showed grace in loss.
"I'm really disappointed, but I couldn't be prouder of Mike for displaying such courage," said the world champion. "He's an amazing person, and there are plenty more great achievements ahead for him."
