Luke Humphries admitted that he must raise his game if he hopes to chase a second World Grand Prix crown, and he expressed disappointment that defending champion Luke Littler exited the tournament so early. The 2023 champion – who also finished runner‑up in the previous two 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 tournament since 2022.
Nevertheless, he was relieved not to join the ranks of Littler and Michael van Gerwen, who both suffered first‑round defeats. "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 during 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 playing 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 this." With defending champion Luke Littler stunned by Luke Woodhouse, Humphries now finds himself the odds‑on favourite to lift the trophy. Yet he confessed that the absence of the world No.
1 adds a new layer of pressure. "I hate it when he loses because it instantly puts the spotlight on me and everyone starts saying, ‘this is your chance to win,’" Humphries explained. "I hate it because I’d love to meet him in a final, beat him there, and not lose to him at that stage. I thrive on the prospect of a final against him – it fuels me." He continued, "When he’s knocked out I don’t celebrate – it just piles more pressure on my shoulders and sometimes that doesn’t help.
I’d rather he stay in the draw as the favourite so I can try to sneak past him in the later rounds." Humphries’ triumph in 2023 marked his first PDC‑ranked televised title and sparked a dominant finish to the season. Since then, however, the player known as ‘Cool Hand’ has endured a string of runner‑up finishes in major events after his World Masters and Premier League victories last year. "I feel like I deserve a major – I’ve lost six or seven finals now," he said.
"I played a fantastic Premier League final and a World Masters final, both at a 105 average, and still came up short. It’s hard to swallow." He reflected on the difficulty of beating top talent, "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 take you out. I know I deserve a title, but life doesn’t always hand you what you’ve earned." Humphries concluded, "It’s up to me to win four more matches and perform far better than I did today. If I can repeat that level, I’ll be lucky to reach the quarters and semis." The former world champion also sparked curiosity on social media after appearing on stage with a noticeable scab on his head.
He reassured fans that the blemish had no impact on his play as he advanced to the last‑16. "I wanted to spin an epic tale about battling five opponents and coming out on top, but the truth is there isn’t a dramatic story here," 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 might be linked to makeup and creams used for television appearances.
"When you do TV shows they put on makeup and all sorts of 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 reaction and I’m otherwise fine." Despite the odd distraction, Humphries remains focused on the prize. The World Grand Prix continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports each day, culminating in the final on Sunday.
Viewers can also stream the action via NOW without a contract, ensuring fans don’t miss any of the drama as the tournament unfolds.