Luke Humphries reaches Players Championship final as Luke Littler criticizes officials

World number one Luke Humphries advanced to the Players Championship finals in November, with world champion Luke Littler criticizing tournament officials.

Humphries (30 years old) started the day in 58th place in the competition rankings and could have missed the finals if he lost in the opening round of the 34th Players Championship.

But he achieved a 6-2 win over Dutchman Martin Dragt in the first round to qualify before losing 6-4 to Rob Owen in the second round at Robin Park Leisure Center in Wigan.

This was the last of 34 Players Championship events held throughout the year. The top 64 performers will now qualify for the finals in Minehead, Somerset, from 21-23 November.

Littler, 18, earned his spot only earlier this month when he won the 32nd Players Championship.

But he did not play in the 33rd Players Championship on Wednesday because he was stuck in traffic after a serious accident and missed the 11:00 GMT registration deadline.

It later emerged that someone had died in an accident on the M6 ​​motorway.

Afterward, Littler posted on Instagram: “I missed today’s taping on the Pro Tour, but someone sadly lost their life. Thinking of everyone.”

He reached the last 32 on Thursday before losing 6-5 in the first leg to Canadian Matt Campbell, and then criticized officials in a social media post, claiming other players were allowed to play when they arrived late to events.

“It wasn’t the best day today but we played some good things,” Littler wrote on Instagram.

“But I’m really happy to hear from a few other players that people are allowed to be about half an hour late on a pro tour but I can’t be two minutes late.

“It says a lot, one rule for one person and the other for another.”

BBC Sport has contacted the PDC for comment on Littler’s claims.

Dutchman Vissel Nyman defeated Englishman Luke Woodhouse 8-5 to win the 34th Players Championship title.

Three-time world champion and current world number three Michael van Gerwen will not participate in the finals as he was outside the top 64 in the rankings and had not played in the last two events.