“That wasn’t a world number 47... I told him to keep performing like this” – Luke Humphries reveals classy message to Gabriel Clemens following Ally Pally thriller

Luke Humphries spoke to the press afterwards looking both relieved and proud after coming through one of the most gripping matches of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.

The world class star had just survived a thriller against Gabriel Clemens, a contest that swung back and forth with neither player giving an inch. “Yeah, it was a great contest. It was up and down.”

From the first dart it was clear it would not be a straightforward night for Humphries. After strong openings in his earlier matches, he admitted this time he was searching for his rhythm. “I had a nervy start and it wasn’t at the level I wanted it to be,” he said. “In the last two games I started the first set at a really good standard, and tonight it was nice to get through that first set and then the second set felt a bit more comfortable.”

After a steadier second set, the match began to tilt. Clemens, backed by a vocal German contingent, grew into the game and started producing stretches of relentless scoring and finishing. Humphries said the pressure felt like facing one of the very best in the sport. “Then the onslaught from Gabriel was like playing any top player in the world,” he said. “Every visit it felt like treble, treble, treble and then a finish.”

Humphries stressed that, unlike some of his earlier rounds, there was never a point where he felt safe. “There wasn’t a part of that game where I felt comfortable,” he said. “There was no point — even at 3–0 — where I thought I’d won it.”

That sense of danger made his late checkouts even more important. In the closing stages, Humphries produced a key 50 finish and then the 81 to close out the match, and he was clear about the significance of those moments. “For me, that 50 was a really good finish to make sure I ended the game,” he said. “Because if you’re 3–0 up and it goes to 3–3, it can be bleak… So I was really proud of the way I took out the 50 and then the 81.”

He also pointed out that the overall checkout percentage is not always the full story in matches like this. “You could have a low checkout percentage overall, but it’s those crucial moments that matter and that people forget,” he said. “I was really proud of the way I took them out.”

Humphries had been asked before the tournament about his stated ambition to win the title, and he repeated the logic behind that mindset. “I said it a little bit in jest, because who comes into a tournament saying they’re going to lose it?” he said. “You say it because if you don’t believe you can win it, you won’t.”

He also explained why matches that ebb and flow can be valuable tests at this stage of the tournament. “When you’re involved in a game that ebbs and flows, you find out what you’re made of,” he said. “When someone’s throwing everything at you, it’s easy to feel like everything is going against you. But I found that level to stay with him.”

Humphries did acknowledge there are still elements he wants to tighten up, particularly in his scoring consistency. “I’d like my scoring to be a bit more consistent,” he said. “At times it’s really good, and at times it’s not so great.” But he singled out one part of his performance as a clear positive. “The thing I was most pleased with tonight was my finishing. That was really good.”

With the tournament moving deeper into the schedule, Humphries said he enjoys the rhythm of matches coming quickly after Christmas. “Yeah, I like it this way,” he said. “When they’re coming thick and fast, you get into a rhythm… We’re in the business end of the tournament now, so you have to be on it. If you’re not, you’ll find yourself going home.”

He also felt Clemens played well beyond what his ranking might suggest. “Yeah, that wasn’t a world number 47 playing like that,” Humphries said. “That’s a top 32 player, nearly a top 16 player.”

After the match, Humphries shared a moment with Clemens and explained what he said in the immediate aftermath. “I just said, ‘Great game, Gabriel,’” he said. “In short, I told him to keep doing this, keep performing like this. If he takes something away from tonight, he can get back into the top 32, which is where I think he belongs.”

Despite the strong German presence in the arena, Humphries said the atmosphere never crossed a line. “They were hostile, but they weren’t bad. They weren’t disrespectful,” he said. “Tonight they were very respectful. They didn’t try to put me off once.”

He also explained why he showed more emotion than usual during key moments. “People think you’re a robot and you don’t have emotion. Of course you have emotion,” Humphries said. “Every game is different… I celebrated in the third set because it felt like a big moment, and I celebrated at the end because it was a massive moment to win the game.”

Looking back, Humphries placed the match alongside other hard fought wins in his career. “This is one of my favourite games,” he said, “similar to the game against Joe Cullen where it went back and forth. When you win games like that, it feels special.”

And while the title remains the long term aim, Humphries was clear that the next step is always the immediate one. “You can’t worry about anyone but yourself,” he said. “So I focus on myself.”

Humphries went on to expand further on how demanding the contest had been, particularly once Clemens began threatening a full comeback.

“There was no moment where I felt free,” he said. “Even when I was ahead, I felt like I had to stay switched on the whole time. He was throwing everything at me.”

He admitted the match reminded him why long, tight battles can be so valuable at a World Championship.

“When you win games like that, it gives you something,” Humphries said. “If you just roll through winning comfortably and then suddenly get tested later on, it can catch you out. Being tested like this stands you in good stead.”

Asked about the decisive moments late on, Humphries again returned to the importance of timing rather than volume.

“I could have had a really low checkout percentage tonight,” he said. “But the 50 and the 81 were the moments that mattered. Those are the moments people forget when they just look at numbers.”

He also acknowledged the relief when Clemens missed darts to level the match.

“Of course you’re relieved,” Humphries said. “When he misses and you get another chance, you know you have to take it. I was really proud of how I did that.”

Despite the drama, Humphries insisted he does not allow himself to look too far ahead in the draw.

“I watch other matches as a fan, but I don’t worry about what anyone else is doing,” he said. “If I’m worrying about them and not about myself, then I’ll end up going out.”

For now, the takeaway is simple.

“Winning a game like this gives you confidence,” Humphries said. “But it doesn’t give you anything more than the next round. You still have to go again.”