Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Fan Reactions
Darts fans have come up with a theory about Luke Humphries after watching his World Darts Championship walk-on against Kevin Doets.
World number two Humphries secured his spot in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory in sets over the Dutchman.
Doets, who defeated Nathan Aspinall in round three, broke Humphries' throw twice in set one to go 1-0 up, but only won two more legs in the remainder of the match as Humphries' scoring power began to tell.
The 2024 world champion averaged 103.07 at Alexandra Palace, hitting eight 180s and checking out 48.15 per cent of his double attempts.
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He will face world number six Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals on New Year's Day.
Should Humphries manage to reach the final for the second time in three years, he could take on reigning champion Luke Littler.
Littler criticised the Ally Pally crowd after his 4-2 win over Rob Cross on Monday, with Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton even describing it as a 'heel turn'.
He said, in response to sections of the crowd booing him: "You guys pay for tickets that pay for my prize money. So thank you."
The crowd generally supports the 18-year-old, who reached the final as a 16-year-old debutant two years ago, though the reception towards him has noticeably shifted this season as he has continued to win tournaments.
Humphries, meanwhile, is one of the most popular and well-respected players on tour, both on and off the oche, though that doesn't always translate to rapturous reactions from the live crowds in attendance at events.
But ahead of his fourth round match against Doets - who himself was heavily booed while playing Kenya's David Munyua - the crowd were very firmly behind Humphries from his walk-on onwards.
They then chanted his name repeatedly after he won the match and qualified for the last eight.
And while the crowd generally supported Littler when he faced Humphries in the 2024 final, fans believe there could be a complete role reversal if the pair face off again on January 3 given the reigning champion's comments.
One fan posted a side-by-side photo of John Cena - a career-long fan favourite in WWE - and Randy Orton - a largely career-long heel - in contrasting roles when they faced off against each other earlier this year.
One fan wrote: "I think he's [Humphries] locked in and ready to take it down. I think the crowd will be on his side in light of recent events."
A second said: "Think if the crowd really gets on his [Littler's] back in the final against Van Veen or Humphries he can be beaten."
While a fourth claimed: "If it is a Littler and Humphries final the crowd could be pivotal."
