"I'm going to make it hard for people": Luke Humphries sees Luke Littler reaching the top but not without a fight

Luke Humphries has cleared another blind spot on his record. Indeed, 'Cool Hand Luke' has won a World Series of Darts tournament for the first time in his career. The 29-year-old Englishman defeated Damon Heta 8-2 in the final of the New Zealand Darts Masters;

For Humphries, it was a long day with three consecutive matches. In the quarter-finals he was too strong for Michael Smith 6-4 and in the semi-finals he won 7-6 from Luke Littler after a particularly exciting match. Then in the final followed perhaps his "easiest" win against Heta. "I'm really really tired. I was feeling it in the semi-finals to be honest. There was a breeze on the stage in the semi-final, it did affect me I can't lie. It's not an excuse it was very hard to come back from.

"When I put the heavier flights on, it seemed to help me a lot more. Luke tried to change his points to adapt and it actually worked for him as well. I thought he started a lot better after the second break. That's why I'm the World Number One, I never give in do I," said Humphries to Online Darts. "As much as I was annoyed and disappointed, I didn't give in. I kept working hard."

Beforehand, Humphries said majors are much more important to him than the World Series of Darts. "As long as I'm winning the big ones that's all that matters, I stand by that statement as long as I'm winning the big titles, the World Series if I do or I don't win it doesn't matter. But I'm dedicated more than ever, I want to win everything."

Humphries also touched on his haunting win against Littler in the semifinals. "If Luke was five or six years into his Tour Card, he would have took the experience that he received like I have and reeled off the game. I never give in. Even if I'm seven legs down, I give it my best and when I got to 6-1 I'm thinking I've been in this situation."

"His apprenticeship is right in the deep end and it's probably the best thing for him. My apprenticeship was playing in European Tour qualifiers, ProTour. If you would have put my apprenticeship in the deep end I probably would'v e been multiple time World Champion now. I needed that experience early. I'm not stupid to be honest, I know he will be the best player in the world one day. Whether it's in five years or in a couple of years. Can't be 17 years old and that good and not in five years be even better."

"I'm going to make it hard as possible. I'm going to try to keep pushing. It's going to take a big performance and that's all I care about. I'm going to make it hard for people."