Humphries – roared on by a sell-out crowd at the PVA Expo – celebrated his eighth European Tour crown with an impressive comeback win over Northern Ireland’s number one. Rock punished a sluggish start from Humphries to establish a 3-1 cushion, before defying a terrific three-leg burst from the world number one to restore parity with a 153 checkout in leg eight. However, Rock paid the price for spurning three darts to level at six apiece, as Humphries followed up a clinical 98 kill by pinning double ten to retain his title in the Czech capital.
Following a below-par display against Dirk van Duijvenbode on Saturday, Humphries was much improved on Finals Day, opening Sunday’s play with a 6-3 success against Martin Schindler. Humphries then averaged 103 to overturn a 5-3 deficit against Wessel Nijman, surviving a brace of match darts before demolishing James Wade 7-1 in the semi-finals. The 30-year-old was without a big stage title since his US Darts Masters triumph in June, but he’s now confident of rediscovering his blistering best ahead of a defining period in his season.
Rock, meanwhile, defeated a hat-trick of Dutchmen to progress to his second straight European Tour final, kicking off proceedings with a 103 average and a 6-4 success against Michael van Gerwen on Sunday afternoon. The 24-year-old then defied a 107 average from Jermaine Wattimena to close out a sensational 6-1 victory with a 110 average in the quarter-finals, which he backed up a clinical 7-3 win over Gian van Veen in the last four.
Van Veen performed superbly in his run to the semi-finals, dumping out World Champion Luke Littler and whitewashing Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals, despite the Welshman averaging 104. The young Dutchman was joined in the last four by Wade, who overcame Nathan Aspinall, Ross Smith and Stephen Bunting at the PVA Expo to feature in his third consecutive European Tour semi-final.
Bunting fought back from 5-3 adrift to deny 2023 champion Peter Wright in booking his quarter-final berth, with Price and Dutch duo Nijman and Wattimena completing the last eight line-up. Earlier in the day, Littler’s 19-match winning run on the big stage was halted by an impressive Van Veen, who ran out a 6-4 winner to record his third straight win over the teenage wonderkid.
Following a sensational weekend of action in Prague, the Winamax European Tour continues with the Hungarian Darts Trophy (ET12) later this month, as Van Gerwen aims to retain his title in Budapest from September 19-21.
Sunday September 7th
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Round Three
Luke Humphries 6-3 Martin Schindler
Wessel Nijman 6-3 Rob Cross
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Peter Wright
James Wade 6-4 Ross Smith
Gian van Veen 6-4 Luke Littler
Gerwyn Price 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Josh Rock 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Ryan Searle
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Luke Humphries 6-5 Wessel Nijman
James Wade 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Gian van Veen 6-0 Gerwyn Price
Josh Rock 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Semi-Finals
Luke Humphries 7-1 James Wade
Josh Rock 7-3 Gian van Veen
Final
Luke Humphries 8-5 Josh Rock
*Photograph - Johannes Michel/PDC Europe.