Luke Humphries and Beau Greaves withdraw from darts Players Championship at last minute as Luke Littler set to play

BOTH Luke Humphries and Beau Greaves have withdrawn from the ninth Players Championship event of the season just hours before play was due to begin.

Humphries and Greaves – who hold the titles of PDC World No.1 and Women’s Series No.1 – were originally announced as a part of the field of competitors at Players Championship 9.

But the pair have now pulled out of playing at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester with play beginning at 1pm.

Humphries and Greaves aren’t the only players to withdraw either, as German star Kai Gotthardt also pulled out of the tournament.

The trio have been replaced in the field by Ted Evetts, Carl Sneyd and Scott Campbell.

Fans can rest assured that some of the top throwers in the world will still be taking part in the event.

Luke Littler, Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright, James Wade and Nathan Aspinall amongst the top talent remaining in the field.

Greaves, 21, has already put her participation in this year’s World Championships in doubt after a slew of missed tournaments in recent weeks.

The Challenge Tour Order of Merit leader skipped Germany’s Tour 6-10 earlier this month.

Those misses could cost her a place at Ally Pally in the winter with the two highest ranked players receiving an invitation to the World Championships and a PDC Tour Card for the next two seasons.

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Humphries, 30, and Greaves met in a fourth-round clash during the UK Open last month at Butlin’s Minehead.

But in the closing stages on the main stage, Greaves came up just short, as Humphries succeeded 10-7.

Classy Luke Humphries gets Beau Greaves back on stage at UK Open for crowd applause

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The pair embraced on the stage, shared a long hug in a huge sign of respect and then Humphries raised her hand before the crowd.

The moment went down a storm with viewers watching the action, including Greaves’ sister Bobbi.

Humphries said after the match: “I really enjoyed it. Beau played great. She belongs in big-time darts.

“She belongs in this environment. She really did test me there and if we were in a Premier League game she would have beaten me.

“In five years she can be in the Premier League. She’s in the top 64 players in the world right now.

“In the next few years she will find she’s got the level that will match me, Luke [Littler], Michael [van Gerwen] – she’s got a massive future ahead of her.”