Luke Humphries forced a clash with Dirk van Duijvenbode on Sunday at the World Matchplay by beating Jose de Sousa 10-2 in his first match.
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Especially scoring, Humphries was excellent against the Portuguese. In the entire match, "Cool Hand Luke" threw only four scoring innings without a triple. He reached six 180-scores and recorded a finishing percentage of 42 percent.
"I played well there, I felt comfortable and that's what I mark my performances on. Sometimes I can play really well and not feel my best. But I felt my best. I put in a great performance today, it is a statement to send but it's only the first round, still a long way to go," said Humphries.
"Last year there was a lot of pressure on my shoulders to go out there and do well. I didn't feel it but maybe I didn't realise it at the time and I didn't perform. This time there's probably more pressure on my shoulders but I think I've grown up the last 12 months and realized I have to do things for myself."
"I can't rely on people's opinions, I've got to win it for myself."
Now it is only up for Humphries who has shown himself to be consistent on his rankings and towards the top four without winning a major, something which he wants to put right but shows he is a model of consistency.
"I've lost my UK Open final off my rankings. So I don't even have a major final on my rankings at the moment and that just proves that I'm pretty consistent. Winning these European Tours help.
"If I could win that major, it could propel me maybe into the top three after the World's. This is the first round, I'm not going to excited yet. I've got four big tough games to go yet before I'm winning a major."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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