Latest news with #WorldMasters
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Luke Littler was crowned Australian Darts Masters champion
LUKE 'The Nuke' Littler's power scoring proved too much for his rivals as he secured his first World Series of Darts title of 2025. Warrington's 18-year-old world champion was crowned Australian World Masters champion for the first time when he overhauled Mike de Decker 8-4 in Saturday's final in Wollongong. Littler, the reigning World Series Finals champion, took a grip of the showdown in the last two legs of the first session, checking out on 133 for a 3-2 lead and then breaking the Belgian to enter the interval in control on the back of a 110 average. 'The Nuke' extended his lead against the World Series debutant at the start of the second stanza and kept his opponent at arm's length for the rest of the match, to the delight of his girlfriend Faith Millar who was among the 5,000 sell-out crowd. As in the day's previous contests – the 6-3 victory over Australian number one Damon Heta in the quarter-finals and the 7-4 success over number one seed Stephen Bunting in the semi-finals – The Nuke's percentages on the doubles were below par. But such was his high scoring rate he could afford to miss a few and still have scope to get over the line to secure his third World Series title in two years. Highlights of the day included a 170 'big fish' finish that put him 2-1 ahead against Bunting. 'It feels very good, it's another one I can tick off,' said Littler, who scraped through his first-round tie 6-5 against New Zealand's Haupai Puha 24 hours earlier. 'I played very well tonight, not so well last night, but it was tonight that really matters. 'Mike's had a good run, wasn't the best debut for himself that I was in his way, but I'm sure he'll bounce back.' Littler, who went into the tournament on the back of becoming World Matchplay champion at the end of July, added: 'It feels good to have won this one. It's not gone to plan this year in the World Series but there's plenty of opportunities to win and I've finally picked it up tonight.' De Decker, who whitewashed world number one Luke Humphries 6-0 in the quarter-finals, said he was happy to reach the decider on debut and joked: 'He (pointing at Littler) needs to retire because it's not fun anymore.' The action moves on to Aukland for the New Zealand Darts Masters next weekend but for now Littler has a plan in mind as he continues to get over the jet-lag from travelling Down Under. 'I can't wait. We'll have a good few days off, try and get some more sleep because us players don't have it easy,' said Littler with a grin on his face. 2025 KenoGO Australian Darts Masters results: Saturday August 9 Quarter-Finals Stephen Bunting 6-0 Josh Rock Luke Littler 6-3 Damon Heta Chris Dobey 6-4 Gerwyn Price Mike De Decker 6-0 Luke Humphries Semi-Finals Luke Littler 7-4 Stephen Bunting Mike De Decker 7-4 Chris Dobey Final Luke Littler 8-4 Mike De Decker
Daily Mirror
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Jonny Clayton 'did not want to play darts' as he makes honest admission after family tragedy
World Matchplay semi-finalist Jonny Clayton has revealed how his motivation for darts was drained after a family tragedy, but he's now targeting a return to the elite Jonny Clayton has said he was on the verge of giving up darts for good following the sudden death of his dad, John. But after a semi-final finish at the World Matchplay, the Welshman is well on the mend and has rediscovered his motivation to compete. 'The Ferret' was due to fly to the other side of the globe for the World Series in July 2023 when he received word of his father's death. And it was then Clayton started to find it difficult to concentrate on his darts commitments. He has since made a return to form after reaching the final of the World Masters in February. That marked his first PDC major final in almost two years, and he came within inches of adding another tournament decider to his record at the Winter Gardens. Clayton, 50, defeated Stephen Bunting 16-7 before falling 20-18 to James Wade in the semis of the World Matchplay. But he has chosen to take the positives from that result after detailing just how close he came to packing it in for good. "I've changed my mind! I've got the hunger back," he said after beating Stephen Bunting to reach the last four in Blackpool. "I don't know what it is. I felt a bit down in darts, but I want to be one of the best. 'It hurts that I've dropped from world No. 5 to nine with the rankings, but I'm climbing back up slowly. I want to be with the elite. "When you're there, people respect you more than what they do when you are further down the rankings. If you're not playing well, no matter your ranking, people pick up on it. But if you're playing well, it's a step in the right direction. I had to do a job against Stephen, and I did." He narrowly missed out on repeating the trick against 'The Machine', fighting back from 16-10 down to lose on a tiebreak. He and Wade now hold the record for the longest semi-final in World Matchplay history. Clayton has opened up in the past about the toll it took to lose his dad, describing the deep bond they shared. But he appears to have finally reached a place of acceptance, and it's showing in his performances at the oche. "We all know two years ago with my dad passing I just did not want to play," he continued. "I have a smile back on my face now, and I have two kids who want me to do well." The former plasterer, who only gave up his day job in 2022, went on to say he doesn't believe he has "hit top gear" just yet and has more to offer. Not only that, but he's back on the practice board, something he hasn't done "for probably a year-and-a-half." It was back in May that Clayton also ended his wait of more than two years for a European Tour title. He clinched the Dutch Darts Championship after coming back from 5-2 down to defeat Niko Springer in Rosmalen and celebrate another landmark moment. He and countryman Gerwyn Price also snagged a silver medal at this year's World Cup of Darts. The Welsh duo finished second to the Northern Irish pairing of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, having won the trophy themselves two years prior. The 2021 Premier League champion may have been a late arrival to the PDC after only joining their ranks 10 years ago. But Clayton appears eager to make up for lost time.
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Luke Humphries has clear darts plan ahead of World Matchplay after 'emotionless' admission
Luke Humphries is the man to beat heading into the World Matchplay after an excellent 2025 so far, but the world No.1 hasn't been afraid to speak about his mental wellbeing For all Luke Littler's attention-grabbing exploits, Luke Humphries remains the player to beat in darts. There has been no hangover since his reign as world champion was shockingly ended by an inspired Peter Wright, who rolled back the years with a 4-1 win in the last 16 at Alexandra Palace. While disappointed by the loss, there was an upside for Cool Hand after a memorable but demanding year as world champion. The reigning World Matchplay champion used his unexpected downtime around the New Year to completely switch off from darts and reset mentally. He admitted before the Premier League that he didn't even watch as Littler demolished Michael van Gerwen to replace him as world champion. He said earlier this year: 'My life had been all about darts in December and I just wanted to switch it off for a little bit. 'I could actually wake up on the 31st and not think about darts for a change. I didn't watch any of it, I just wanted to break away from it.' A refreshed Humphries has since won two of the first two majors of the year, adding the World Masters and the Premier League to his glittering CV. Humphries is rightly lauded as a superb ambassador for the game and someone who isn't afraid to speak candidly about his own weaknesses and struggles. After a 6-1 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode at the International Darts Open, Humphries confessed that playing felt like a "chore" and he needed a break for his mental well-being. He said that he felt "emotionless" due to the sport's exhaustive schedule. That led to a social media backlash, with keyboard warriors accusing him of not appreciating his status. Humphries responded with typical candour on X: 'Considering the comments and people not understanding what I meant, it will be the last time I ever confess my real feelings to the public. "Everything I say or ever do just never seems to be good enough for anybody. As long as no one complains when we all give the same answers in interviews like robots and not our true feelings, then everyone I guess will be happy, or usually will still find a way to moan at us." Humphries was in a cheerier mood a couple of months later as he lifted the Premier League title for the first time after beating Littler 11-8 in the final. Reflecting on his previous comments, Humphries said: 'It's about when I had those struggles in March. It felt hard work and everything you dedicate yourself for, it makes it worthwhile when you achieve things like this. "It's emotional because you work so hard, you're away from home for so long to get those trophies. It means the world. I do believe I've got that mental strength. I said earlier, if I win the title, I know I'll have won it by mental strength and belief. I feel like that was the case. "In the final, I was 3-0 down and could easily have let that slip away from me but I used mental strength to keep myself in the game." At just 30, Humphries can rack up more titles over the next decade. The next big prize in his sights is the World Matchplay. "I'm still relatively young in the game and I'm only a couple of titles away from being possibly the third-most successful darts player [ever behind Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen]," said Humphries, who begins the defence of his World Matchplay title against Ryan Searle on Saturday night. "But when you reach 10 major titles, you're in some unseen territory so I'll keep pushing. I want to get over 10 so hopefully I can do that in the next couple of years."
Business Recorder
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Pakistan's Mohammad Asif wins World Masters snooker championship
Pakistan has won two snooker titles in a day — World Masters and Under-17 IBSF World Snooker Championship 2025 — in Bahrain. In the World Masters final, snooker player Mohammad Asif defeated India's Brijesh Damani by 4-3, Radio Pakistan reported. In the final of U-17 World Snooker Championship, cueist Muhammad Hasnain defeated Riley Powell of Wales by 4-0. President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Asif on winning the world snooker championship and defeating Indian player Damani in the final to win the title. 'Muhammad Asif made the nation proud with his outstanding performance,' said the president. President Zardari said the success in the world competition is a testament to the ability, determination and hard work of Pakistani players. Praising Asif's dedication, courage and professionalism, he said: 'Muhammad Asif proved that Pakistani players are no less than anyone at the global level.'
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Nagpur's Roma for World Aquatics masters meet in Singapore
Nagpur: Roma Sarnaik Morghade will represent India at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore. She will compete in the 30-35 years age category, participating in three 50m individual swimming events: freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Making a comeback to the pool after a gap of 16 years, during which she established her career, Roma resumed training professionally at the Aqua Sports Club under the guidance of Vishal Chandurkar and Shashikant Chande. Over the past year, Roma participated in various state and national level masters swimming competitions and qualified to represent India at the world meet. Roma said, "When I returned to the pool after 16 years, it was Vishal Sir who believed in me. He didn't hesitate to train me again—this time, not as a schoolgirl, but as a determined adult chasing an international dream. I feel fortunate to train under him as his coaching has helped me rediscover my potential." The World Masters meet will take place next month in Singapore, representing the largest global aquatic competition for adult athletes over 25 years and attracting more than 7,000 swimmers from over 100 countries.
