As the Premier League season heats up, reigning champion Luke Humphries is facing an uphill battle to secure a top-four spot and defend his title at the O2 in London on May 28. With 11 points from 10 weeks, Humphries is currently seventh in the table, still searching for his first nightly victory.
A recent 6-5 defeat to leader Jonny Clayton in Brighton has added to the pressure, and a last-16 exit at the Player Championship 9 in Wigan has done little to boost his confidence. Humphries' next challenge comes in the form of home favourite Gian van Veen in Rotterdam on Thursday, a match that could make or break his chances of reaching the Play-Offs. According to Michael Bridge, Humphries is no longer under the same level of pressure as he was in the past, having regained a sense of balance in his life. "Luke isn't running away with things anymore," Bridge said.
"He's getting his life back a bit because he's going to Aintree and Cheltenham, so I don't think things are getting to him like they used to." With seven more nights to gain enough points to reach the Play-Off spots, Humphries will need to go on a winning streak to catapult himself into contention. Commentator Chris Murphy believes that Humphries has the potential to turn his season around, saying, "I don't know what the problem is because something does seem slightly off, but out of all the players that are out of the Play-Offs at the moment I would say he's the one who could go on and win back-to-back nights and catapult himself into those places." Humphries remains optimistic about his title defence, claiming he doesn't feel the pressure of defending his crown.
"You're not thinking about it every week you're playing in it," he said. "I think my average this year in the Premier League has been the best it has ever been." As the BetMGM Premier League heads to Rotterdam, Humphries will face a tough test against Van Veen, while other crucial matches see Luke Littler take on Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting face Josh Rock. With ranking points awarded per night, the top four players will progress to Finals Night at The O2 in London on May 28.
Can Humphries overcome his struggles and defend his title, or will another player take the crown?