FILE PHOTO: Darts - 2024 Premier League - Sheffield - Utilita Arena, Sheffield, Britain - May 16, 2024 Luke Humphries in action during his final match against Michael Smith Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File photo
(Reuters) - Defending champion Luke Humphries was knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship as former winner Peter Wright secured a shock 4-1 fourth round win late on Sunday.
The two-time world champion Wright clinched victory with a 70% success rate, a 110.93 set average, and five 180s.
Humphries, unable to deliver a solid performance, averaged 99.23 with a 56.3% checkout rate, but will retain his world number one ranking.
"Luke gave me a load of chances there, he didn't play like he can," the 2020 and 2022 winner Wright told Sky Sports.
"I've been struggling for form all year and it's so annoying because I know I can still play darts.
"I'm a double world champion and I want to win it for a third time. I'm not too old and you only have to play well for two or three weeks the whole year. These three weeks are all that matters and I'm in the quarter-finals."
The 17th seed Scot will face either eighth seed Stephen Bunting or unseeded Luke Woodhouse in the quarter-finals.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Michael Perry)
