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Luke Humphries furious with darts fan after shock defeat in World Matchplay opener

Luke Humphries furious with darts fan after shock defeat in World Matchplay opener

The Sun4 days ago
LUKE HUMPHRIES was furious with the 'Blackpool Blower' whistler as he was sent crashing out of the World Matchplay opener.
The defending champ was shown the exit door, losing 10-8 to dashing Dutchman Gian van Veen at the Winter Gardens last night.
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World No1 Humphries, 30, showed his anger to a whistling fan midway through the clash.
In the end the power-scoring of Van Veen won the contest.
The Dutch star said: 'It means so much. I think it's the biggest win of my career.
'To be here at the iconic Winter Gardens on my second time. Last year I missed five match darts and before I hit the double four tonight, I missed three match darts. I thought 'here we go again'. Finally I hit that winning double.'
Van Veen opened in style and broke Humphries' throw in the first leg with double 16.
The flying Dutchman was bang on song and soon doubled his lead.
Finally, the World No1 got on the board with double 10 and it was soon level with double eight.
Then 'Cool Hand' delivered a wonderful 146 with double 16 to go in front for the first time.
Van Veen wasn't done, he won the next three after the break to retake the lead at 5-3.
Humphries then missed tops and was clearly angry by a whistler in the crowd.
'This is why we play darts indoors' - Video of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries struggling in new tournament emerges
He then stared out into the crowd after finally winning the leg to level up the match at 5-5.
But the Dutchman just kept coming back but missed three darts to win it before eventually wrapping it up with double four.
Cameron Menzies was crushed 10-2 by Danny Noppert, which included a humiliating moment.
Trailing 3-0, the Scot managed to bust 178 by hitting a 180 in the fourth leg.
In his 20th successive Matchplay, James Wade marched on with a comfortable 10-3 victory over Joe Cullen.
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Who is Oscar Onley? The talented Scot breaking through at the Tour de France
Who is Oscar Onley? The talented Scot breaking through at the Tour de France

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  • The Independent

Who is Oscar Onley? The talented Scot breaking through at the Tour de France

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What's next for Daniel Dubois if he beats Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley?
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The Independent

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  • The Independent

What's next for Daniel Dubois if he beats Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley?

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Friday's racing tips: Preview, odds and best bets for Ascot, York
Friday's racing tips: Preview, odds and best bets for Ascot, York

The Independent

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Friday's racing tips: Preview, odds and best bets for Ascot, York

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That Redcar success was the pick of the form on offer here and he is taken to successfully follow up at 9/2. Close Brothers Handicap tips (Sandown Park 18.53) Stamina comes to the fore in Sandown's Close Brothers Handicap (18.53), for runners rated 0-80 over 1m6f. This looks an open contest on paper and over such trips, every pound carried can count. It won't harm, therefore, that Curran has been dropped 1lb since just being collared when trying to make all over a similar trip at Haydock last time. Charlie Johnston's four-year-old sticks to what looks to be his optimum trip and, if able to repeat that latest effort he would go very close. He's another that looks to have strong each-way claims and it would be no surprise if he proves good enough to win it. Please Gamble Responsibly Sports betting can be enjoyable, but it's important to stay in control and gamble responsibly. Whether you are using the best online casino, slot sites, poker sites, or online bookmakers, responsible gambling should always be a priority. All licensed gambling sites in the UK are required to provide tools such as deposit limits, time-outs, self-exclusion, and self-assessment questionnaires. These are designed to help you manage your activity and protect your well-being. Many operators, including online bookmakers and new casino sites, will offer free bets or a casino bonus. While these can be tempting, it is vital to read the terms and conditions of any offer before taking part. If you are concerned about your gambling behaviour, support is available from: NHS Help GambleAware Gamblers Anonymous We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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