Humphries highest ranked player remaining at World Matchplay: "To me I'm not the favourite"

Luke Humphries survived a thriller in the second round of the World Matchplay. 'Cool Hand Luke' eventually defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode 14-12.

"I don't do anything the easy way, it's always the hard way," laughed the 28-year-old Englishman. "If I'd have lost last I'd have felt dreadful. It was such a struggle for me and I don't really know why."

Despite not being too happy with his performance, Humphries was able to prevail after surviving a missed match dart from van Duijvenbode. "I wasn't expecting him to miss," he admits. "But he does seem to do it a lot against me."

The sixth-seeded Humphries is the highest seeded player still in contention. "To me I'm not the favourite. A lot of people are now saying I'm going to win this tournament anyway. But then they forget for a moment that there are still seven great players in the tournament. So I am very realistic, it is still going to be extremely hard work to get that first major title to my name."