Luke Humphries admits the intense pressure and constant “noise” surrounding England’s superstar pairing played a major role in last year’s shock World Cup of Darts exit.
Humphries and Luke Littler will reunite as top seeds for next month’s tournament in Frankfurt after the 40-nation line-up was officially confirmed on Monday.
But the highly fancied English duo suffered a stunning second-round defeat to hosts Germany last year — a loss Humphries says became difficult to handle because of the expectations placed upon them.
He said: “I wouldn’t say it affected us completely, but there was so much noise around us.
“People were talking like we shouldn’t even lose a leg.
“We didn’t actually believe that ourselves, but there was so much pressure built around us that it almost felt like losing was impossible — and if we did lose, everyone would react exactly how they did.”
The former world champion revealed he later sat down with Littler to analyse the defeat and discuss how they could approach this year’s competition differently.
Humphries added: “We’ll do things the same way again because there’s no issue between us.
“Luke tells me to do what suits me and I say the same to him.
“It was exactly the same last year. I usually arrive at the venue around three-and-a-half hours before I play.
“Luke prefers getting there maybe an hour or two before.
“I told him last year: ‘Just do what works for you. I’ll arrive when I want to arrive. Don’t feel like we have to do everything together because we’re a team.’
“A lot got said afterwards about us not acting like a proper team.
“But trust me, me and Luke are very good friends. We get on brilliantly and we both desperately want to do well.
“This year we’re probably more determined than ever because last year was hard for us to take.”
Humphries admitted the pair reflected carefully on the defeat but concluded they had not done anything fundamentally wrong.
“We sat down together afterwards and asked ourselves what we could have done differently,” he said.
“But honestly, we didn’t think we did anything wrong personally.
“I think the occasion maybe got the better of us.
“Now we’re more focused and determined than ever to have a good World Cup.
“It’s a title Luke really wants because it’s missing from his CV.
“I’ve already won it, so hopefully I can help him get over the line this time.”
Humphries heads into the tournament in strong form after ending his Premier League drought with victory in Birmingham on Thursday night.
The world No.2 recently credited his fiancee for helping him rediscover confidence during a difficult spell in the competition.
Comments are closed.