'We're both going to put it all on the line to be No 1'

Luke Humphries declares 'war' as he returns to Alexandra Palace with Luke Littler's world title firmly in his sights

- LAWRENCE OSTLERE

Luke Humphries arrives at Alexandra Palace today brimming with confidence, having won two major titles this year and reached a string of finals before the big one. “I feel like I'm playing much better than I was in 2023 when I actually won it,” he says. And he’s got the receipts to prove it.

“My tournament average was better this year than when I won the Grand Prix in 2023. My tournament average was better in the Grand Slam this year than when I won it. My tournament average is better in the European Championships than when I’ve ever played in it. So my standard has got better. And I feel like sometimes when the pressure is on me a little bit, I seem to play better.”

The problem, of course, is that the man - boy, technically - who Humphries beat in the 2023 PDC World Championship final is playing much better now too. Luke Littler has swept up almost every other notable trophy on offer this year and Humphries has had to settle for scraps, albeit that may be a slightly disrespectful description of the Masters and the Premier League.