Humphries retains US Darts Masters title with thrilling 8-7 win over Littler

Luke Humphries became the first player to win back-to-back US Darts Masters titles after a dramatic 8-7 victory over Luke Littler in the final at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The world number one survived a fierce comeback from Littler, who led 5-4 at one stage, before Humphries produced a sensational 11-dart leg in the decider to seal the win. The match was played in front of a record US darts crowd of 5,000 fans.

What happened in the final

• Humphries averaged 104 throughout the match and hit key doubles under pressure.
• Littler smashed nine maximum 180s but could not maintain his mid-match momentum.
• Humphries took a 4-1 lead early, but Littler fought back to go 5-4 up.
• The defending champion leveled at 5-5 and the match went to a deciding leg.
• Humphries threw an 11-dart leg in the final leg to retain his title.

Humphries earlier defeated Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen on finals day, saving match darts against van Veen in the semi-finals. The victory marks his third World Series of Darts title.

What they said

Speaking after the match, Humphries described Madison Square Garden as 'the most iconic venue darts will ever go to' and praised the fans. He also acknowledged the quality of his rivalry with Littler, calling it 'another brilliant game in the saga of Luke v Luke'.

The win continues a strong run for Humphries, who also helped England win the World Cup of Darts alongside Littler earlier this month. The pair are widely considered the top two players in the world.