Luke Littler’s hopes of qualifying for the Gamers Championship finals suffered one other setback as he was crushed by Brendan Dolan within the semi-finals of PC28 in Leicester.
The world champion went a step additional than he managed at Tuesday’s PC27, however nonetheless fell in need of the title, which was received by fellow Englishman Luke Humphries with an 8-6 victory over Dolan.
“Luke has been by far the very best participant within the final 18 months and he deserves the world primary spot,” mentioned world quantity two Humphries after his victory.
“He is received all the things and I’m going to be the one one who’s making an attempt to cease him.
“I need to go on and win a significant this yr. I do not need him to have a clear sweep – as a lot as everybody would like to see it.”
Littler, in the meantime, climbed from 141st to a hundred and twenty fifth within the order of advantage with prize cash of £10,500 and posted on Instagram: “We’re so on the transfer.”
However the semi-final defeat leaves the world primary with work to do within the race to succeed in November’s finals in his try to finish the calendar sweep of rating occasions in 2026.
Solely the highest 64 gamers within the Gamers Championship qualify for Minehead.
And Littler, who skipped the primary 26 occasions on the circuit, is presently £16,750 behind Sixty fourth-placed Shane McGuirk.
On Wednesday, the 19-year-old beat Benjamin Pratnemer, Martin Schindler and Krzysztof Ratajski to succeed in the ultimate 4, the place he was denied by Northern Irishman Dolan.
The world primary has largely skipped the ground occasions this yr in an effort to handle his schedule.
With the projected cutoff anticipated to exceed £30,000 in any case 34 occasions, and solely seven occasions remaining, Littler may journey to Den Bosch subsequent month to spice up his hopes of reaching the finals.
He has beforehand acknowledged his intention to solely characteristic within the UK occasions, and the 2 in Leicester on 4 and 5 November full the qualification stage.
Littler was defeated by Jermaine Wattimena within the quarter-finals of PC27 on Tuesday.
