Mike De Decker throws himself into the history books of darts, he wins the World Grand Prix! “I’m so happy”

Mike De Decker has won his very first major with a stunt. In the final of the World Grand Prix in Leicester (Eng) he beat world champion, defending champion and world number 1 Luke Humphries: 6-4. “I’m in seventh heaven,” De Decker responded. “Mike is a great champion,” Humphries said.

The World Grand Prix is ​​a major in darts where players not only win a game by throwing doubles out, they also have to throw doubles in to score. Something true Mike De Decker can now call himself a specialist.

In the final it went to a best of 11 (the player who first won 6 sets won the match).

De Decker started his very first major final without any major nerves. He looked unfazed and steamed to a 4-1 lead against world number 1 Luke Humphries.

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The world champion had a hard time finding his feet. Humphries was a wholesaler of rejects, but he would not allow himself to be led to the slaughter either. “Cool Hand Luke” fought back into the match and made it 4-4.

Up and about it? No, because De Decker fought back and took the lead again: 5-4.

And then finished it off wonderfully in the 10th set.

With a 180 score (his 16th of the final!) he reached 55. A piece of cake for a man in shape. With 15 and double 20, De Decker hurled himself to his very first final win at a major tournament, good for a check for 120,000 pounds (143,430 euros).

While before this edition of the World Grand Prix he had never reached the 1/8th finals at the highest level.

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“This surpasses everything, I am on cloud nine,” Mike De Decker beamed immediately after his triumph.

“I was calm during the warm-up, but at the beginning of the match I became extremely nervous,” the 28-year-old darts player tells the story of his final.

“After that it got better. Until Luke came back from 4-1 to 4-4. Suddenly he started making all these finishes. I thought, ‘Come on, man. Stop that,” laughs De Decker.

“But hey, I did it. All credit to Luke though. He’s been phenomenal this past year and he’s such a friendly guy.”

“The fact that I can beat him here, in the final, is indescribable. I am so happy,” he concluded the interview on stage.

I’m very proud of Mike. He has shown so many balls.

Luke Humphries

“I am of course disappointed that I lost. It was not my evening and then you have to accept that,” said losing finalist Luke Humphries, who continued his response with nice words for Mike De Decker.

“I am very proud of Mike. We have known each other for more than 10 years. He has shown so much “balls”, he has remained so calm,” said the world champion.

“Mike is a great champion. From now on everyone will want to beat him, just like me. All credit to him.”

“He’s a great guy and a fantastic player. I think we’ll see a lot of great things from Mike, otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this.”

“Although I hope he won’t win too many more titles,” Humphries laughed.

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World Grand Prix 2024: final figures
	Luke Humphries	Mike Decker
sets	4	6
legs	20	25
180	14	16
+140	38	47
+100	96	89
checkouts	20/53 (38%)	25/59 (42%)
highest checkout	152	156
average 3 arrows	90,56	92,06