Luke Humphries acknowledges that he must raise his game if he hopes to secure a second World Grand Prix crown, and he confesses that he would have liked defending champion Luke Littler to stay in the tournament longer. The 2023 champion, who has also finished runner‑up in the last two editions of the double‑start event, delivered a rather flat performance in his straight‑sets win over Dave Chisnall at the Mattioli Arena. Despite the victory, Humphries’ numbers were far from his usual standards: he hit less than 27% of his checkout attempts and posted an average of 80.41, the lowest figure he has recorded at this venue since the 2022 edition. He did, however, express relief at avoiding the fate that befell both Littler and Michael van Gerwen, who were eliminated in the opening round.

"That was probably one of the poorest displays I've ever produced on a World Grand Prix stage," Humphries admitted after the match. "I never felt comfortable throughout the whole encounter.

The doubles weren’t clicking at the start, my scoring was terrible, and I got the impression that Chizzy [Dave Chisnall] wasn’t at his best either." He added, "It wasn’t a good performance, but I’m through, and when I face Jermaine [Wattimena] on Thursday I hope you won’t see a repeat of that." With defending champion Luke Littler surprisingly knocked out by Luke Woodhouse, Humphries now finds himself the clear favourite to lift the trophy. Yet he admits that the exit of the world number one adds an extra layer of pressure. "I hate it when he loses because it instantly puts the burden on me.

Everyone starts saying ‘this is yours to win’, and that kind of narrative 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 later in the tournament." Humphries also revealed a personal motivation behind his desire to face Littler in a final. "I want to play him in a final, I want to beat him there. I don’t want to lose to him in a final, but the prospect of a final against him fires me up," he said.

"When he’s out, I don’t celebrate – it just adds weight to my shoulders and sometimes that doesn’t help my game." His 2023 triumph marked his first PDC‑ranked televised title and sparked a dominant run that carried him to the end of the season. Since then, however, the player known as “Cool Hand” has endured a string of runner‑up finishes in major events after winning both the World Masters and the Premier League the previous year.

"I feel like I deserve a major – I’ve lost six or seven finals now," Humphries reflected. "I played a 105‑average in the Premier League final and the World Masters final, and still lost. It’s hard to swallow." He continued, "If you play anyone else in the world, they probably won’t beat you, but when you’re up against a phenom like Luke Littler, he can win. I feel I’m owed a title, but sometimes life doesn’t give you what you think you deserve.

The onus is on me to win four more matches and perform far better than I have this week. If I repeat this level, I’ll be lucky to reach the quarters or semis." During the tournament, Humphries sparked curiosity on social media when he appeared on stage with a noticeable scab on his head. He clarified that the blemish was the result of an allergic reaction rather than any serious injury.

"I wanted to share an epic story about battling five opponents and coming out on top, but I don’t have that kind of narrative," he joked. "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 might have been caused by makeup and creams used for TV appearances. "When you do TV shows they put makeup on, and all these creams, 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. I’m fully fine otherwise," Humphries assured.

Looking ahead, Humphries will aim to tighten his scoring, improve his checkout percentage, and regain the confidence that carried him to his maiden major title. The pressure of being the tournament favourite, combined with the desire to finally claim a major after multiple near‑misses, will be a major storyline as the World Grand Prix progresses toward its final on Sunday.

Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports throughout the week, with additional streaming options available via NOW without a contract.