“Think the most anonymous number one in the world”: Luke Humphries labelled as unremarkable front runner amid Littler presence

Last weekend was all about the Czech Darts Open, where Luke Humphries once again showed why he leads the world rankings. Despite inconsistent play, the Englishman won the title by beating Josh Rock in the final. The Dutch talents also showed their skills: Gian van Veen and Wessel Nijman continue to impress, while Michael van Gerwen is struggling to find his old level again.

Vincent van der Voort praised 'Cool Hand Luke's' victory in the podcast Darts Draait Door: "What I thought was great about this victory is that he didn't play very well at all... but did the right things at the right moments. Then you see why he is number one in the world."

Humphries' status as world number one remains fodder for debate. According to Van der Voort, he may be the most unremarkable front-runner ever: "I think the most anonymous number one in the world. It reminds me of the time when Colin Lloyd was on top, but everyone knew that Taylor was actually the best. With Humphries now, it's often about Littler. The hype revolves around him, and therefore it is almost forgotten that Humphries is the real number one."

That picture underscores how much the darts world has changed in recent years. Whereas Michael van Gerwen was the best for years without question, Humphries has to prove his status over and over again in the shadow of the youngest superstar, Luke Littler. Still, Humphries managed to win the final in Prague against Rock, after previously crawling through the eye of the needle against Wessel Nijman.

"Nijman could have just won that match," Van der Voort said. "He missed match darts, and that's sour. But then when you push through and still win it over, you show that you're made of the right stuff."

Josh Rock's final appearance confirms his rise. Two Euro Tour finals in a row, though both were lost, show that the Northern Irishman is ready for to take his first major majors title. "He just presents himself for a spot in the Premier League next year," Van der Voort stated firmly.

Yet it is not only Rock and Littler who are coloring the future. Dutch talents Nijman and Van Veen continue to develop. Van Veen even made it to the semifinals this weekend, knocking off none other than Gerwyn Price 6-0 along the way.

"Price threw an average of 104, and yet he got a hand. Van Veen missed nothing. Every finish he got was out. That's impressive, and shows how fast he's maturing as a player," Van der Voort said. His co-host Damian Vlottes added: "It's really enjoyable with that young guard: Humphries, Rock, Littler, Van Veen, Nijman ... a new generation that's going to color darts in the years to come."

For Van Gerwen, however, it remains puzzling. The Dutchman started his tournament excellently with a convincing 6-0 victory over Mike De Decker. His average of over 112 gave the impression that the old Van Gerwen was back. Yet that idea quickly disappeared: in the next round, he did not get beyond an average of 89 and had to acknowledge his superiority to Rock.

"One game he can still throw fantastic. But after that it drops back to 90 average. That's just down 23 points," Van der Voort analyzed. "He can still charge for a pot, but he can't manage to hold that for an entire tournament."

What he says is particularly striking is the difference in appearance. "He used to go on stage to wreck someone. He wanted to show the audience how many times he could throw 170 and 9-darters. Now it's all business and hard work. The eagerness and energy seem to have diminished."

Vlottes wondered how Van Gerwen can turn this around. Van der Voort replied, "It's mainly mental. If you are not in shape, it is difficult. But here you see it's still there. He has to find that hunger again: the idea that only winning counts. He has to get back to that."

A notable match in the tournament was that between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen. Littler lost again, so the balance in mutual encounters is now 3-1 in favor of Van Veen. Van der Voort explained that this is partly due to their common background: "The three of them - Littler, Nijman and Van Veen - dominated the Development Tour. Against contemporaries of their generation it is always more difficult. You also saw that with Nijman, who often won from Littler. That mental component plays a role."

It is telling that despite his impressive winning streak at the senior level, Littler struggles against peers who know him better. "When someone catches you five, six times in a row, you go into a match differently," Van der Voort said.

Especially Nijman and Van Veen are making great strides. Nijman showed against Humphries that he can compete on the highest stage, although he failed to finish it off. Van der Voort nevertheless sees a lot of potential: "Every arrow is tightly grouped around the triple. He just plays well. If you do get that match, you can reach the final. But you don't get chances like that every week. It's a shame, but also a sign that he's coming."

Van Veen, according to him, shows above all that he is getting stronger mentally: "Last year, if he started badly, it was finished. Now he can turn that around in a match. That makes him much harder to beat. He's getting better every year."

The discussion is slowly shifting to the question of who are the best Dutchmen right now. Vlottes put that question to Van der Voort: are they Van Gerwen and Noppert, or the young guard after all? Van der Voort was clear: "At this moment Nijman and Van Veen are the best two Dutchmen. With Noppert and Van Duivenbode right behind them. But in terms of impression, in terms of development: those two stand out right now."

This is a remarkable observation, given Van Gerwen's hegemony of many years. It underscores the change going on within the Dutch darts world.

Finally, the structure of the Euro Tour was also discussed. Players like Van Veen have an extra hard time because they often have to start in the first round, while established names enjoy protection.

"The system protects the top," Van der Voort explained. "You actually have to get into the top 16 in the world to be a real fixture. Otherwise, you have to start in the first round every time, and that makes it much tougher."

Vlottes pointed out that last year the Pro Tour ranking determined placement, something he said seemed fairer. But in the end, both acknowledged, it comes down to the interests of Premier League players. "It's set up so Premier League players don't have to play on Fridays. It just comes down to that," Van der Voort concluded.