"I'm not quite sure what happened there" - Controversy and confusion cloud Luke Humphries' 2nd round win in Basel

World number one Luke Humphries marched into the third round of the Swiss Darts Trophy with a 6-2 victory over Callan Rydz, but his win was marked not just by brilliance on the doubles, but also by a bizarre scoring controversy that briefly unsettled the Basel crowd.

Humphries won half of his six legs with ton-plus checkouts, showcasing the kind of ruthless finishing that has defined his rise to the top. His first big blow came on a 117 finish, punishing Rydz after the Bedlington ace had missed four darts at double 11. Soon after, a 108 checkout stretched his lead, with “Cool Hand Luke” nailing five doubles from his first five attempts.

While perfection at the outer ring couldn’t last forever, Humphries finished in style, landing a superb 136 to close out the contest. The numbers underlined his dominance: a 100.13 average compared to Rydz’s 86.65, three ton-plus finishes, and an 85.7% checkout rate (6/7) that Rydz’s 18.2% (2/11) never came close to matching.

The only blemish in Humphries’ night came in the sixth leg, when confusion over the scoring briefly overshadowed proceedings. Humphries himself admitted he wasn’t entirely sure what had happened.

“The most important thing was… was I right on the score I thought was wrong? To be fair, I’m not quite sure what happened there. They put 61 down, but I think I scored 97. We’ll find out afterwards. I hope I’m not wrong, but I thought I hit a treble.”

Despite the incident, he regrouped quickly and never let Rydz back into the match.

Perhaps the most striking admission from Humphries afterwards wasn’t about Basel at all, but his throw. The world number one revealed he has made significant technical changes in search of improvement.

“I’ve changed my throw a little bit. I did it last week. I don’t flick them anymore, I push them through now. I feel so good, I feel like a different person, like there’s a different version of me. I said in the World Series Finals with Phil Barrs that I had to change something to get better — and I feel really, really good.”

Even so, he acknowledged it will take time to fully bed in. “It’s frustrating when the darts don’t go in. I guess I have to adapt, it takes time. But considering I didn’t feel like I played that great there, a 100 average was good.”

If the throw is still a work in progress, the setting certainly isn’t. Humphries was once again buoyed by a lively European Tour crowd, who were quick to create new chants in his honour. “It’s new, isn’t it? They’re trying to match Prague! But honestly, I love playing on the European Tour. I feel like I get so much support, and they respect me so much. These crowds… I love being up here. That’s why I think I play my best darts here.”

He also spoke about his “very Swiss” experience the previous day, playing darts on the Jungfraujoch — the so-called “Top of Europe.” “It was a great experience. Really tough up there, it was incredibly cold. But I was the only player to hit a 180, about 12,000 feet above sea level, so that was really cool. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Switzerland is a beautiful country — honestly one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

For Humphries, the message was clear: the changes to his throw are beginning to pay off, his finishing remains world class, and with the Basel crowd firmly behind him, he looks a strong favourite to go deep in Switzerland.

Callan Rydz may have been left to rue his missed doubles, but for Humphries, it was another demonstration of why he’s the number one player in the world — even on a night when, by his own admission, he didn’t feel at his best.