Luke Littler’s pursuit of a spot in the Players Championship finals encountered another hurdle on Wednesday as he was eliminated in the semi-finals of PC28 in Leicester by Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan. The 19-year-old, who previously won the World Matchplay title last month, had progressed through the field by defeating Benjamin Pratnemer, Martin Schindler, and Krzysztof Ratajski before his exit.
The tournament title was ultimately claimed by Luke Humphries, who secured an 8-6 victory over Dolan in the final. This result marked a slight improvement for the world number two, who had been defeated by Jermaine Wattimena in the quarter-finals of PC27 just one day earlier.
Reflecting on his win, Humphries praised his rival, stating, “Luke has been by far the best player in the last 18 months and he deserves the world number one spot.” He added, “He’s won everything and I am going to be the only one who’s trying to stop him. I want to go on and win a major this year. I don’t want him to have a clean sweep – as much as everyone would love to see it.”
Despite the setback, Littler’s performance earned him £10,500 in prize money, moving him from 141st to 125th in the order of merit. The teenager shared his optimism on social media, posting, “We are so on the move.”
However, the world number one still faces a significant challenge to qualify for the finals in Minehead, where only the top 64 players will compete. Having skipped the first 26 events of the circuit to manage his schedule, Littler currently trails 64th-placed Shane McGuirk by £16,750.
With only seven events remaining and the projected qualification cutoff expected to exceed £30,000, Littler may need to reconsider his travel plans. While he has previously expressed a preference for UK-based events, he might now look to compete in Den Bosch next month to bolster his ranking.
The final qualification opportunities will take place in Leicester on November 4 and 5, which serve as the concluding events of the stage. Littler’s campaign remains focused on overcoming this deficit to secure his place among the top 64. The report also notes that but still fell short of the title, which was won by fellow Englishman Luke Humphries with an 8-6 victory over Dolan, the world champion went a step further than he managed at Tuesday’s PC27.
