Luke Humphries admitted that he must raise his game if he hopes to capture a second World Grand Prix crown, and he confessed that he would have liked defending champion Luke Littler to stay in the tournament longer. Humphries, who lifted the 2023 title and finished runner‑up in the two previous editions of the double‑start event, delivered a rather flat performance in his straight‑sets win over Dave Chisnall at the Mattioli Arena.
The world No. 2 managed to hit fewer than 27 percent of his checkout attempts and posted an average of 80.41 – his lowest figure at this Grand Prix since the 2022 edition. Nevertheless, he felt a measure of relief at avoiding the fate of Littler and Michael van Gerwen, both of whom were knocked out in the opening round.
"That was probably one of the worst outings I've ever had on the World Grand Prix stage," Humphries said after the match. "I never felt comfortable throughout the whole contest.
The doubles weren’t clicking at the start, my scoring was terrible, and I could tell Dave [Chisnall] wasn’t playing at his best either." He added, "It wasn’t a good performance, but I’m still in the tournament and when I face Jermaine Wattimena on Thursday I hope you won’t see a repeat of this." With Littler’s shocking defeat to Luke Woodhouse, Humphries now sits as the clear favourite to lift the trophy, but he admitted that the elimination of the world No. 1 adds an extra layer of pressure. "I hate it when he loses because it immediately shifts all the attention onto me. Everyone starts saying, ‘This is yours to win,’ and that kind of expectation can be overwhelming," he explained.
"I’d rather he stay in the draw, be the favourite, and then I could try to sneak past him in the final." Humphries also expressed a personal rivalry with Littler, saying, "I want to play him in a final and beat him there. I don’t want to lose to him in a final, but the prospect of a final against him really motivates me. When he’s out, I don’t get that extra boost; instead I feel the weight of the whole tournament on my shoulders." His 2023 victory was the first PDC‑ranked televised title of his career and sparked a dominant run that carried him to the end of the season. Since then, however, the "Cool Hand" moniker has been attached to a series of near‑misses.
He has finished runner‑up in several major events after winning both the World Masters and the Premier League last year. "I feel like I deserve a major title – I’ve lost six or seven finals now," Humphries said. "I played a 105 average in the Premier League final and another 105 in the World Masters final, only to lose both.
It’s tough to swallow." He continued, "If you play anyone else on the tour, they probably won’t beat you, but when you face a phenom like Luke Littler, he can turn the tables. I think I’ve earned a major, but sometimes life doesn’t hand you what you think you deserve." Humphries knows that the next step is to win four more matches and dramatically improve his level of play. "If I repeat the same performance, I’ll be lucky just to reach the quarter‑finals or semi‑finals," he warned.
"I have to raise my game if I want to go all the way." Off the oche, the former world champion sparked a wave of curiosity on social media after appearing on stage with a noticeable scab on his scalp. He clarified that the blemish was harmless and did not affect his play. "I was hoping I could spin a dramatic story about battling five opponents and coming out on top, but the truth is less exciting," Humphries laughed. "I filmed Bullseye on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday with a massive rash on the side of my head, and it kept getting worse until it scabbed over." He speculated that the reaction was likely caused by makeup and creams used during TV productions.
"When you do TV shows they put a lot of makeup on, and I think I had an allergic reaction to something they applied to my head and face. I haven’t seen a doctor yet, but it looks like an allergic response and I feel fine otherwise," he said. Despite the skin issue, Humphries pressed on, advancing to the last‑16 stage. He remains focused on the prize money, the prestige of the title, and the personal satisfaction of finally adding another major trophy to his cabinet.
Fans can continue to follow the World Grand Prix action live on Sky Sports, with daily coverage leading up to the final on Sunday. For those without a Sky subscription, the tournament is also available to stream without a contract on NOW.