"When he's at his best, he can beat anybody" - Foolish to write off Michael van Gerwen before World Darts Championship says Luke Humphries

After taking his first world title at the PDC World Darts Championship almost a year ago at the Alexandra Palace, Luke Humphries returns to the prestigious event as the number one seed and one of the pre-tournament favourites this time around.

Recently, the world champion was invited by TOTO Darts Kings to a media day in the Netherlands alongside the top Dutch darters. "It's great to be invited. Always a pleasure to be a part of events like this, especially in the lead up the World Championships," Humphries tells Online Darts. "You don't need to do all this media unless it's something big. So you can feel the Worlds are coming close and in exhibitions now, I'm full of good form, winning the last two at quite a good level. It's been a good couple of weeks."

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With the Ally Pally looming in the coming days, it's nearly time for the press days and the exhibitions to stop and the real business to begin for Humphries. "I'm happy I've had these exhibitions to keep me sharp, but five/six days before the World Championships I'm going to be on the practice board and I've got Stephen Bunting coming so should be good," says the world champ.

Whilst at the media day in the Netherlands, Humphries was being widely touted as the favourite to take World Championship glory, despite the fact that Dutch number one and three-time champion Michael van Gerwen was sat next to 'Cool Hand Luke'. "I don't think he's experienced that before," Humphries says with a wry smile. "Even last year it was close between me and him. I'd only just won a couple of majors. But a whole year of me doing really well again has kind of cemented my place as being one of the favourites. I think Michael knows that himself, but he also knows that when he's at his best he can beat anybody."

"The thing with Michael's game at the moment is he's inconsistent. He can have a really high level, but then he can drop off," Humphries adds. "If he can find that level on a consistent basis, we'll see the real Michael van Gerwen then."

As such, 'MVG' simply can't be written off according to Humphries. "You'd be foolish to write off any former champ because they know how to do it," he explains. "Michael will be at the top of that list of former world champions that you'd fancy doing well. I wouldn't say he's in the favourable half, because he still got some tough games to win, but me, Luke Littler, Mike De Decker, Stephen Bunting and all these players in good form are not in his (Van Gerwen's ed.) half. The real tough task for him is Gary Anderson. If they do meet, whoever wins that will likely be the finalist, but anything can happen in darts." 

As is tradition with the reigning champion, Humphries begins his tournament on the opening night on Sunday, December 15th. In the first match of his defence, 'Cool Hand Luke' will take on the winner of the tournament's opening encounter between Frenchman Thibault Tricole and Australian qualifier, Joe Comito.

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