- Luke Humphries suffered a shock 16-point loss to Peter Wright on Sunday
- The two-time champion landed an astonishing 70 percent of his doubles at Ally Pally.
- Wright will play the winner of the clash between Stephen Bunting and Luke Woodhouse.
Luke Humphries will officially relinquish his crown at this year's World Darts Championship after being eliminated from the Alexandra Palace tournament on Sunday night by a tearful two-time champion, Peter Wright.
Humphries was swept 4-1 by the impressive Wright, the mohawked 54-year-old Scot who overcame a chest infection to secure an average of over 100 with a 70 per cent payout percentage.
It was a sweet victory for Wright, nicknamed 'Snakebite', after having engaged in a war of words with Humphries telling him to prepare to be dethroned. Those mind games worked as he talked and then walked by overtaking the top seed, who is 25 years his junior.
Wright will now face either Stephen Bunting or Luke Woodhouse, both of England, in the quarter-finals on New Year's Day.
Humphries' exit eradicates what had been billed as a highly anticipated semi-final showdown with Luke Littler, the 17-year-old sensation who must beat Ryan Joyce tonight to reach the quarters.
Littler can now see his side of the draw opening up as he attempts to become the youngest world champion in history.
Defending champion Luke Humphries was eliminated from the World Darts Championship on Sunday night.
Two-time winner Stephen Wright produced an impressive performance that upset the 29-year-old.
The pair shared a touching hug after the match, despite exchanging barbs before the contest.
“Luckily I didn't play against Luke Humphries from last year because he was incredible,” Wright told Sky Sports. 'I am a double world champion and I want to win it for the third time. I'm not too old and you only have to play well two or three weeks a year. These three weeks are all that matters and I'm in the quarterfinals.
“I thought I played rubbish tonight, so hopefully I can play better and score better points in the next round. As long as this crowd is behind me, I have a chance.
Humphries, meanwhile, will lament a rare dip, however minor, in form, having put together an extraordinarily consistent 2024. His second world championship crown would have made the Englishman the first player to surpass £2 million in earnings in a calendar year.
The 29-year-old looked in great form as he beat Nick Kenny in straight sets on Friday night after beating Thibault Tricole 3-0 in his first match before Christmas.
But in Wright he found an inspired opponent. The Scot averaged 100.93 compared to Humphries' 99.23, while Snakebite also landed his doubles an impressive 70 percent of the time compared to the Englishman's 56 percent.