slough

RISING star Luke Humphries claims that Dirk van Duijvenbode was trying to intimidate him during their Grand Prix clash.

The Slough ace KO’d last year’s finalist Dutchman with a clinical display at the Morningside Arena, Leicester on Sunday night.

But Hump, the UK Open runner-up, explained the end of game on-stage verbals between the pair.

He said: “I’m not really one of them people that gets involved with celebrating but if people celebrate against me, try and show their emotions, I’ll make sure they know about it. 

“I think Dirk was celebrating a lot at the end there trying to intimidate me to make me think I’m behind you, you can miss. That’s why I celebrated hard to let him know he lost.

“I’m not very happy at all, I think I was very poor there. Especially the first set, I just knew something weren’t right there. I didn’t play very good, my hands are really cold. 

“The arena is really cold, I didn’t really expect it to be so cold. I was really struggling to let go of the darts the way I want them.”

Humphries also revealed his detailed preparation for the tournament and the fine margins he wants to correct especially in a double-start format.

He added: “Actually I did lots of in depth stuff. I watched plenty of my games back on YouTube. 

“I always thought I was a really good double 20 hitter on the stage but a stat came out that I wasn’t very good on the tops. This game is all about perfection, little millimetres.”

Gerwyn Price admits he is full of confidence despite recovering from a tennis below injury after a comfortable win over Michael Smith.

He said: “Obviously winning breeds confidence so I’m full of it and I know this tournament’s a bit different with double start double finish and it can get you a bit mentally. 

“But I just seem to concentrate a bit more these days and don’t seem to try and put myself under too much pressure and today it worked.”

All the talk is about whether Price will also fend off Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen to keep his place as World No.1.

He added: “I’m No.1 now and I’ve been there done it. Peter’s obviously chasing it, he’s never been there so as long as he keeps chasing then I’m in a good place.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.