HUMPHRIES SURVIVES SCARE AFTER NINE-DARTER THRILLER
31/01/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
LUKE HUMPHRIES admitted his nine-darter would have meant nothing without surviving a huge scare at the World Masters.
World No.2 Humphries edged past Luke Woodhouse 4-3 in a pulsating last-16 clash, averaging 105 and smashing in ten 180s on the way to victory.
‘Cool Hand’ struck the perfect leg to take a 2-0 lead in the bout but Woodhouse responded as he took the third set to reduce the deficit.
Humphries restored his advantage though Woodhouse wrestled back control and rattled off back-to-back sets to level the affair at 3-3 in Arena MK.
Cheshire thrower Humphries held his nerve as he survived a missed attempt from Woodhouse for the big fish to win the seventh set and subsequently the match.
Humphries insisted the nine-darter only mattered because he still managed to get over the line.
He said: “It’s my third nine-darter [on TV] in less than 12 months. I felt like when I hit the two 180s it was going to go.
“That is important when you feel a bit nervy — usually you miss the double 12.
“It was a great hit, and I was happy we were off the break after that because the heart rate was going.
“It’s the adrenaline. The crowd are enjoying it, you walk off to the break and you feel like a king giving them what they wanted.
“I had to calm myself down. It’s easy to get over-excited.
“For me it was great, but if I don’t win the match it means nothing. So I am glad I won the match with it.”
Eight-time major winner Humphries believes Woodhouse’s breakthrough is only just beginning.
He added: “I said to him at the end he has crossed that line of showing a lot of bottle because he has been in so many close encounters.
“I got over the line in a sluggish fashion. He showed a lot of composure there to put me under pressure every single set.
“He has definitely hit that next peak in his career, and that is what I said to him.
“The world is your oyster now. You are going to be playing us all the time, and you probably will fancy it.
“For him, I know losing will be disappointing, but he has taken that next step now.
“He has got the bottle to beat anybody.”
Humphries returns to action on Sunday afternoon and faces Danny Noppert for a spot in the semi-final at Milton Keynes.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
