“It’s been a hard few months trying to find myself again” – Luke Humphries opens up after emotional Nordic Darts Masters final defeat
Luke Humphries issued an emotional message after missing out on the Nordic Darts Masters title in a deciding-leg defeat to Michael van Gerwen, admitting he has endured “a hard few months” while trying to rediscover his best form.
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The world number two was beaten 8-7 in Copenhagen, with Van Gerwen taking the title after Humphries missed a match dart at bull in the final leg.
It was a narrow end to a strong weekend for the Englishman, who had earlier averaged 109.92 in his opening-round win over Jeffrey de Graaf and then beaten Luke Littler 7-5 in the semi-finals.
Van Gerwen averaged 98.90 in the final, with Humphries close behind on 98.83, as the Dutchman claimed another World Series crown from one of the tightest matches of the weekend.
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Humphries apologises after emotional final
After the defeat, Humphries posted a message on X apologising for his visible emotion on stage and congratulating Van Gerwen on the win. “Sorry for the emotion on the stage today guys,” Humphries wrote. “I want to congratulate @MvG180 on a fantastic win tonight!! Fully deserved win.”
Humphries had been visibly frustrated during the closing stages in Copenhagen, but his post made clear that the reaction came from competitive disappointment rather than any lack of respect for Van Gerwen.
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“I hope everyone understands that I just want to give you all the best games and the best entertainment!” he added.
Humphries in action
“I’m close to being where I want to be”
The most revealing part of Humphries’ message came when he looked beyond the final itself and reflected on his wider search for rhythm.
“It’s been a hard few months for me trying to find myself again,” he wrote. “I’m close to being where I want to be and I want to thank All my fans for the continued support!”
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That line followed comments Humphries had made earlier in the weekend after his 6-3 win over De Graaf. He said then that he had felt “a lot more comfortable” in his throw over the previous four or five weeks and believed he was playing at a level he could now produce more often.
The Copenhagen run backed that up. Humphries started the event with a near-110 average, survived a tight 6-5 quarter-final against Gian van Veen, beat Littler in the semi-finals and then came within one dart of denying Van Gerwen in the final.
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Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom
World Cup now waits for England
Humphries ended his X message by turning attention towards the World Cup of Darts, where he will again partner Littler for England. “See you next weekend at the World Cup,” he wrote.
