Luke Humphries may be into the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, but the defending champion was the first to admit his performances have not been worthy of much praise. His latest win came in the form of a 3-0 victory over Niels Zonneveld, reaching this stage for the fourth consecutive year. Both players averaged 85.91, but it was Humphries who was more clinical on the outer ring at the end of legs, prevailing against the debutant.
"Pretty much how you've just assessed it yourself — flattered me a lot," Humphries told the media, including DartsNews.com. "Just clinical in them little crucial moments at the right times. I feel like that 74, I think it was, 76 to win that set or whatever it was I did in the second set. Just little bits like that was very clinical. I know I wasn't playing very good, and sometimes when you're not playing very good, it's hard to then start playing well. The last set was a lot better. I don't know if it actually was, but it felt a lot better. But I feel like I'm just having moments where it comes back together again. All of a sudden, it's like a 1-5-2 start and then a 1-4 and then it's 59-60. It's like, what are you doing? I'm trying to figure out myself."
Humphries reflected on his game and the significance of the tournament. "I feel like my performances just go back and down. I feel like my game's in a good place, so it's not about the way I feel. It's more about just not finding it this week. I remember back three years ago when I won this tournament, I didn't actually find it at any moment until the final. So hopefully, on that experience, I can go think back and think, well, hopefully I'm playing rubbish to save it for the right moment. But who knows? If I don't start playing better, I won't win this tournament." This was the scene of Humphries' maiden major success, the catalyst that led to him becoming world champion and world number one. "It feels like it's a full circle. If I do win it, I'd feel like it did really feel that way," he admitted. "For myself, I know that the level is there. I know, as much as I haven't really performed this week and maybe I didn't play my best in the World Series Finals or the Matchplay, but before that I was playing some really good darts. I don't feel like I'm fading away. It's just that first start is not going in enough. As you've seen on many, many occasions over my career, when that first start goes in, I'm so dangerous. But it's not going in this week. If it does start to go in, then of course there's a massive possibility that I'm a massive danger in this whole tournament. But until I find that, then it's going to be hard work for myself. So I'm not going to sit here and dwell too much. I've won the game. I've won in straight sets. Not at my best, but no one really remembers how you played or what you averaged. And whoever remembers is the winners. So if I go on and win this tournament, no one's going to care about what's happened before. Just about what I've done in the big and last stages. So it's up to me now to go on and come back tomorrow and perform at that level that I did against Gerwyn. Maybe even score even better than I did."
In contrast, James Wade is playing some brilliant darts. The format seems to suit him more than anyone with his doubling abilities well documented, showcased in the quarter-finals against Gian van Veen, dropping just one leg in a fine 3-0 win. While his opponent is in very good form, that will not get in the way of Humphries' preparation. "Same way as I would any game. If I come out and play my best, I know I win the game, and that's it. I think James will probably think the same. And so he should, because he's playing that level of performance where if he goes out and plays his best, he'll probably think he'll win the game. He probably would. So we're both probably going to approach the game the same way." It has been the scoring that needs to be given a boost, according to 'Cool Hand Luke', but if he can get that right then there will be few who can stop him. "I know that my doubling in has been good in moments. My scoring hasn't been good. There's got to come a time where it comes good. And if it does come good, then I'm going to produce some really good stuff. But I can't just sit here and say it. I've got to go and do it. So James is a massive threat. I know the level of performance that he's been producing over the last few months. And I've been practising with him all week. So I know that, obviously, we won't be tomorrow. But he's a good friend of mine and I respect him a lot. He's one of the greatest dart players there's ever been. One of the most consistent dart players there's ever been. I respect him a lot. But tomorrow's going to be a tough task for myself, and it's going to be a tough task for him, hopefully. And hopefully it's a really good game."
Wade has enjoyed a mine-resurgent in recent years, getting back to his best and challenging for majors. He has also altered his persona, with him coming across as a much more relaxed and chilled darter. Humphries is very fond of this new Wade. "So the last couple of years, two or three years, I've been friends with him for maybe four or five. But the last couple of years, I feel like he's starting to maybe show his personality a little bit more. You know, he's a really nice guy. And I think a lot of people give him a lot of jib about how he's this and that. And James is a lovely guy. But I think now people are starting to really see it," he said. "I'm happy for him because he's starting to show it a lot to people. And I think that's coincided with him playing really good darts. You know, he feels a little bit more free, a little bit more relaxed. He's produced some good darts. And I think that he deserves the things he's getting, the World Series of Darts."
A return to the Premier League Darts could be on the horizon. "I think he's on the horizon for a Premier League. I'd love to be seeing him in the Premier League because I'm good friends with him. I'd love to see him in there again. I love playing against him because he's such a tough player to beat. Really, really, really tough. He's not the heaviest scorer in the world, but he's a tough, tough player to beat. So he's doing himself the world of good. And he's been very, very happy and friendly. And that's the best James Wade, I think. So, yeah, when he's like that, I think he's even more dangerous. When he's a little bit moody, like he can be, he's not so dangerous. So, yeah, this is a new side of James that I think that people have got to be very wary of because he's hitting a lot of good scores as well nowadays."
Wade should be Humphries biggest challenge in this tournament, and Humphries knows that he will need to put in a better performance. "I have to go up another gear. It's pretty simple. I mean, even the game I played against James, do you know what I mean? It might not be good enough. I know I have to perform. But I know that when I have these sort of feelings, or like, you know you have to play better, I feel like I do become a better player. It's not no disrespect to Niels tonight. It's not like I thought I could get away with this tonight. But I just know in the moments, I just feel like I'm a better player." He is prepared for a tough game but also looking forward to that prospect. "It's going to be a tougher game as well for myself. It's probably going to be the toughest game of the tournament. But yeah, I'm looking forward to it because he's always a tough player to beat, but a tough challenger. And he knows from previous experience I'm a tough player to beat as well." The former world champion expects to be more relaxed on stage. "I think when I play the top echelons of the game, you know, the top, top players, I feel like I relax more because I just think if I don't relax, I just won't win anyway. So yeah, I think I relax against the top players. And, you know, James is one of them. You know, his doubling over his whole career, it's been amazing."
Wade is a usual practice partner for Humphries, but with them two clashing he may have to search elsewhere. "If we didn't, which I will respect anyway, I'd probably practise with Nathan a little bit, because obviously he's one of my best mates, and he might take some tips off me, but I don't care. I'll practise by myself. It doesn't bother me. I'm here for myself and to win as much as I can and win the tournament. So, you know, it's nice to practise with people a little bit, get a little bit of a rhythm, but yeah, if I came here by myself and didn't practise with anyone, I wouldn't care, because I'm here for myself as well and to win the tournament."
