"Always feel another chance is going to come around" - Luke Humphries aims for historic hat trick

Defending champion Luke Humphries will once again hunt for darts history at the Players Championship Finals this weekend. The 30-year-old Englishman hopes to be one of the few ever to win the prestigious tournament for the third time in a row. Humphries will face a tough challenge right away, though: Gian van Veen, the talented Dutchman who has broken through stormily in recent months.

Humphries - who impressed a year ago with a sensational comeback victory over Michael van Gerwen and then defended his title 11-7 against sensation Luke Littler - has had a mediocre season at the Players Championship. Indeed, on the Players Championship rankings this year, he finished only 58th, a position disproportionate to the quality he regularly shows on the big stages.

Still, Humphries mostly exudes confidence toward the new tournament. “I don’t think there’s many players that have won this tournament three times in a row, so hopefully I can create a bit more history this weekend,” admitted Humphries. He stresses that his form is still good, despite three lost major finals in a row. “I’m feeling really confident. I know I’ve lost three major finals in a row, but when you’re playing well you always feel another chance is going to come around straight away.

His opening match against Gian van Veen is an instant replay of the final of the European Darts Championship, played last month in Dortmund. Van Veen, still only in his early twenties, is described as one of the greatest talents on the current circuit. Humphries has great respect for his Dutch opponent.

“Gian is a potential winner of every tournament at the moment. He’s going to be a formidable force, but it’s up to me to stop him tomorrow.” The respect is mutual: Van Veen has previously stated that Humphries is among the most consistent players of the past two years.

Although Humphries' results in recent finals have been somewhat disappointing, his level has hardly dropped. Averages above 100 and rock-solid finishing work are the rule rather than the exception with him. It is details - sometimes just one miss at a crucial moment - that have cost him the trophy in recent months.

For this very reason, his optimism is understandable. Humphries knows he is capable of peaking at key moments. His comeback against Van Gerwen in 2023 is still considered one of his most heroic performances. And his title defense against Luke Littler also proved that Humphries is not intimidated by reputations or expectations.

Should Humphries actually manage to win the tournament again, he will join an illustrious line of darters who have captured three consecutive titles. It would be another milestone in a career that has been mostly on an upward trajectory in recent years.

For now, Humphries is fully focused on his first hurdle: Gian van Veen. A duel between two players in top form, a possible final already played out in the first round. But Humphries remains calm, confident and determined.