Luke Humphries admitted that he must raise his game if he hopes to chase a second World Grand Prix crown, and he confessed that he would have liked defending champion Luke Littler to stay in the competition longer. The 2023 champion – who has also finished runner‑up in the last two editions of the double‑start event – delivered a rather uninspired display 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, the lowest figure he has recorded at this tournament since the 2022 edition. Nevertheless, he breathed a sigh of relief at escaping the fate that befell both Littler and Michael van Gerwen, who were both knocked out in the opening round. "That was probably one of the worst performances I've ever given on the World Grand Prix stage for myself," 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 got the impression that Chizzy [Dave Chisnall] wasn’t playing at his best either." He added, "It wasn’t a good showing, 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 suffering a shocking loss to Luke Woodhouse, Humphries now finds himself the favorite to lift the trophy. Yet he said the absence of the world No.

1 from the field adds a new layer of pressure. "I hate it when he loses because it instantly puts the spotlight on me. Everyone starts saying, ‘this is yours to win,’ and that kind of pressure builds up," 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 enjoy the idea of a final because it fires me up." He continued, "When he’s out, I’m not celebrating – it just makes everything feel heavier on my shoulders, and sometimes that doesn’t help. I’d rather he stay in the tournament as the favorite so I can sneak through the back door to the final." Humphries' triumph in 2023 was his first PDC‑ranked television title and sparked a dominant finish to that season.

Since then, the player known as ‘Cool Hand’ has endured a series of near‑misses, finishing as runner‑up in several major events after his World Masters and Premier League victories last year. "I feel like I deserve a major title – I’ve lost six or seven finals now," he said. "I played brilliantly in the Premier League final and the World Masters final, posting a 105 average, yet I still lost. Those defeats are 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 major, but life doesn’t always hand you what you’ve earned." Humphries acknowledged that the onus now lies with him to win another four matches and dramatically improve his level of play. "If I repeat the same performance, I’ll be lucky just to reach the quarters or semis," he warned. During his progress to the last‑16, Humphries sparked a wave of curiosity on social media after appearing on stage with a conspicuous scab on his head.

He later clarified that the blemish was harmless and unrelated to his form. "I wanted to share an epic story about fighting off five opponents and coming out on top, but unfortunately there isn’t a great tale here," he 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 have been caused by makeup and creams used for TV appearances.

"When you do TV shows they put makeup on, 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 feel fine." Despite the minor skin issue, Humphries remained focused on his quest for another major trophy. He emphasized that the World Grand Prix continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports throughout the week, with daily coverage culminating in the final on Sunday.

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