Luke Humphries believes that winning the World Cup of Darts with Luke Littler would be even more special than his previous triumph with Michael Smith, due to the immense pressure on the current England duo. Speaking after England's second-round win over Spain on Saturday night, Humphries admitted that the expectation to win is far greater now than when he and Smith ended England's drought in 2024.
Humphries and Littler booked their place in Sunday's action at the World Cup of Darts with a victory over Spain, going one better than last year when they lost to Germany at the same stage. While both acknowledged they need to improve, they stressed that getting through the first match was the priority. 'It feels great. First and foremost, we just wanted to win tonight. Of course, everyone expects you to hit these massive averages, and we kind of expect that from ourselves as well, but today was simply about getting through the first game however we could and getting over the line,' said Humphries. 'We weren't horrific, but we didn't play our best. I certainly didn't play my best. Luke was clinical in some important moments as well. The main thing is that we're in the hat for tomorrow. We know we can be better, and we know we'll need to be better if we want to win the title.'
Littler echoed that sentiment, saying he was glad to have faced a test. 'Yes, that's exactly what Luke said. He said we needed a test. Obviously, we had a test last year, but we weren't good enough. Like Luke said, if we'd won 8-0 or 8-1, it wouldn't really have been a test. He said he's glad we've had a test, and now tomorrow we can relax a bit more and just throw our darts.' Littler added that he feels better than ever coming into this year's event. 'Coming into this year, I've never felt better. Last year, there were obviously a few nerves. Luke's been here and done it before. But our first game last year didn't go to plan. But our second game has gone to plan, and we can definitely build on it.'
Humphries, who won the World Cup with Michael Smith in 2024, compared the two experiences. 'The first one was very special because it was to end the drought. But I think this one could maybe be even more special because there's so much more pressure on us. I don't think there was that pressure on me and Michael Smith to win. People had us as favourites, but I don't think that was the expectation of, "You have to win, you can't lose." I think there is sometimes that added pressure on me and Luke. If we could win it this year, it would feel even more special because there's so much pressure. Me and Michael didn't start that great when we won it. In our first game against France, I think we averaged 89. We've averaged five points more. We're not going to come back tomorrow and be like we've not played well, we can't win. We'll be confident and really up for producing our best.'
On the tactical side, Littler explained his approach to the pairs format. 'I don't think we need to practise anything different. We just practise the way we normally do. Back there I was throwing great, I was working on small checkouts on my own. I think we can get better. You've got to wait two or three throws before it's your turn again. If Luke hits a big score, I need to follow up. If the opponent hits a bad score, you've got to pounce on it.' Humphries added that preparation for pairs is limited. 'The last time we played darts before this was Saturday. You just do your own thing, play as a team and work as a team. I think we've worked really well together.' Littler also addressed his tendency to change his throw when it isn't working, saying it's all about feel. 'I've always said that if I go up on stage and I want to throw the way I normally throw and it's not working, I'll change it slightly. I was bringing the dart back with a slight pause. It's just how I feel. Maybe it's in my head, and maybe I just need to focus more. But at the end of the day, that's how I feel.'
