COOL HAND IS FIRED UP

Humphries declared he's going to win the title. The ‘other' Luke is standing in his way

- BY MARK WHILEY

LUKE HUMPHRIES is ready for war.

Far from being deflated by his run of major final defeats and losing the world No.1 spot to Luke Littler, Cool Hand has come out swinging.

His language albeit with a smile after losing the Grand Slam final to the Nuke, was far removed from his rhetoric from his two years at the top of the darting tree.

"I'm ready for the Worlds now. I'm going to win the Worlds," he declared after the Grand Slam, which sees the semifinals and final played on the same day.

"One game a day (at the Worlds), it suits me, we're going to go to war: World Championship, meeting him in the final. We're going to see who's the number one there."

Humphries has been walking the walk as well as talking the talk, reaching three straight major finals at the Grand Prix, European Championship and the Grand Slam, crashing in a nine-darter against Michael Smith at the latter. He's arguably playing the best darts of his life, even if some pesky teenager has had his number in recent meetings.