Humphries battles back to stun Price in thrilling World Grand Prix final

[p]In a truly topsy-turvy finale, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/price-gerwyn/8dDDoW0B/"]Price[/a] led 3-0 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/darts/humphries-l-n34VOAWo/price-g-8dDDoW0B/summary/stats/?mid=tOWE2WSO"]came within one checkout of making it 4-0[/a], before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/humphries-luke/n34VOAWo/"]Humphries[/a] rallied to win four sets in a row.[/p][p]'The Iceman' took the eighth without dropping a leg to level at 4-4, and the ninth set went to a deciding leg.[/p][p]Humphries won it against the throw in 10 darts and then won the 10th set without losing a leg, finishing the match on double eight, after his 10th maximum of the night brought him level with Price on 180s.[/p][p]The stunning victory marks the ninth major PDC title of Humphries' career and his first since the 2025 Premier League. It also puts to bed two defeats in the last two finals of this tournament. 'Cool Hand Luke' beat Price in the 2023 final, then lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-decker-mike/ARzd8nfD/"]Mike De Decker[/a] in 2024 and to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/littler-luke/0URN6Xks/"]Luke Littler[/a] last year.[/p][embed guid="017febfc-7594-4972-9537-57dcb64e0a69" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106851303510946242" social-type="twitter" /][p]The victory also keeps him at world number two ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-veen-gian/jgT1AT29/"]Gian van Veen[/a], who would have overtaken him had the Englishman lost.[/p][p]Early in the match, that result looked unlikely. Price held throw in 12 darts in the first leg and opened the second with 160 and 180, and was on course for a nine-dart leg, but missed it and won the leg in 10 darts. A third leg in 12 darts, finished on tops, gave him the set with an average of 132.62.[/p][p]In a double-in event, Humphries struggled to find his starters, and by the time he got going, Price was usually already on a finish.[/p][p]The second set went the same way, with Humphries taking the first leg after Price missed double seven, then missed three darts at double 16 to let Price hold throw. Price then broke with a 101 checkout on tops.[/p][p]In the fourth leg, Humphries hit treble 20 and treble 19 but missed the bull for a 167 finish, and Price took out 82 to go two sets clear.[/p][p]Humphries again started slowly in the third set. He needed seven darts to hit his opening double in one leg, and Price won it with another 101 checkout to break again in 12 darts. A 109 finish brought Humphries back into the set, but Price won the deciding leg on tops to lead 3-0.[/p][h2]Humphries finally switches on[/h2][p]However, Humphries turned the tide in the fourth set. Price took it to a deciding leg with a 130 checkout on the bull, the highest finish of the night. Humphries then had to hold throw to avoid going four sets down. He hit 180 to leave 105, while Price set up to leave tops. Humphries needed all three darts and eventually won the leg on double 16.[/p][embed guid="85f09311-e219-44f0-8ff0-3d873a935090" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106836817677029736" social-type="twitter" /][p]After that, Price's scoring dropped, and he missed two-dart finishes he had been hitting earlier. Humphries broke in the fifth set with a 73 checkout on double eight and won the set with a 43.[/p][p]In the sixth, Price broke with a 99 finish on tops-tops, his first "Booyah" for some time, but Humphries broke straight back with 74. Humphries then set up from 119 and won the deciding leg on double 20 to level at 3-3.[/p][embed guid="56baea07-64b1-4240-a09b-ab3b65b7620b" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106842636162138118" social-type="twitter" /][p]The seventh set gave Humphries the lead for the first time, in the 29th leg of the match. Two 180s in a row set up an 11-dart hold. He then won a 16-dart leg despite needing six darts to start it, setting up from 149 and finishing on double 12, and he took the set on double 16. His average in that set was more than 30 points higher than Price's.[/p][h2]Price goes down fighting[/h2][p]Price came straight back. He won the eighth set 3-0 with two breaks of throw. The first came in a scrappy leg in which both players missed double 10, and Humphries also missed double five. He then won the first leg of the ninth with a 56 checkout, his fourth leg in a row. Two legs later, with Humphries on 60 and close to a break, Price hit 180 and took out 92 on double eight, then let out two loud roars.[/p][embed guid="407154af-7496-45e0-a71c-85cf7209051a" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106846763478913071" social-type="twitter" /][p]Price then had a dart to win the set and lead 5-4. Humphries missed 48, and Price missed double 10 for the set. Humphries came back to hit double eight and force a deciding leg. He won that leg with visits of 180, 152 and 137, leaving 32 after nine darts, and checked out on the next visit to break throw.[/p][p]The last set took three legs. Humphries held throw on double 10. Price opened the next leg with 160 and had 144 left, but set up instead of going for the finish and left himself 92 with Humphries back on 204.[/p][embed guid="87f61e52-bb41-4823-95e3-a6bc261bfc54" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106856958519087313" social-type="twitter" /][p]He missed two darts at double 16, and Humphries took out 82 via the bull and double 16 to break. [/p][p]Throwing for the title, Humphries hit 180, then treble 20 and double eight to finish 76.[/p][h2]Humphries 'needed this'[/h2][p][b]"I needed this to give me some confidence, as it has been a horrid 15-18 months losing so many major finals,"[/b] Humphries admitted to [b][i]Sky Sports[/i][/b].[/p][p][b]"I have to be honest - I felt I didn't have much to give tonight and there was a moment in the game where I thought, 'I don't want to lose 6-0'.[/b][/p][p][b]"Suddenly I was 3-3 and then 4-3 up, and I had a chance.[/b][/p][embed guid="fc8f24a0-6ffa-4863-8fb4-dda528e5ebc9" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2106850832931340495" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"This is really special, getting that barren major run off my back.[/b][/p][p][b]"I think the biggest shot of my career was the 180, 105 outshot in the fourth set; as if Gezzy goes 4-0 up, it's game over.[/b][/p][p][b]"Then at 3-1, I relaxed."[/b][/p][h2]'I don't want to win a major!'[/h2][p]The defeat will hurt Price, who is now without a major title since the 2022 World Series of Darts Finals. [/p][p][b]"I don't want to win a major, do I?" [/b]Price said afterwards.[/p][p][b]"Luke played brilliantly in the middle part of the game, but I still squandered opportunities to put him under pressure - too many opportunities.[/b][/p][p][b]"It was a fantastic game, and it was whoever took their opportunities. I missed quite a few at crucial times.[/b][/p][p][b]"I am gutted to lose another major final, but I will get over it. I am bothered."[/b][/p][p]Humphries takes home £150,000 in prize money for winning the title, while Price still earns a tidy £80,000 as runner-up.[/p]