James Wade has come under fire for an unusual incident where he appeared to lick Luke Humphries’ neck during their UK Open quarter-final match, prompting speculation of a potential investigation. Former Players Championship winner Paul Nicholson has suggested that ‘The Machine’ might have to answer for his actions, which seemed to put world champion Humphries in an irritable mood.
The two did not engage in the usual handshake or fist bump before the final leg of their contest, with ‘Cool Hand Luke’ opting for a shoulder bump after his 10-9 defeat. Humphries even took to social media, in a now-deleted post, to express his lack of respect for Wade, stating: “Everyone loves to see people be a bad loser but I’m generally one of the best losers in the sport,” and “I wasn’t going to give someone, who didn’t deserve my respect after what he was doing through the game, a hug and be all happy about it that’s just my honesty.”
While some may view Humphries’ reaction as poor sportsmanship, Nicholson defended him, describing Wade’s action as ‘disgusting’.
Speaking to Sporting Life, Nicholson remarked on the contrast between Humphries’ recent praise for his sportsmanship and the criticism he faced following the frosty exchange with Wade.
“It is ridiculous for anyone to call Humphries a ‘bad loser’ and his track record of graciousness speaks for itself,” he said.
“There had seemingly been tensions building throughout and they didn’t exchange the usual handshake or fist bump before the deciding leg, while Wade licking Humphries’ neck before the match began may have been an issue.
“I’m with Luke on this one. I think sometimes as a competitor, you have to draw a line and say, ‘If you are going to play games and do things within a competitive environment that cross the line, then don’t expect respect in return’.
“The photograph that surfaced of James sticking his tongue out and touched Luke’s neck was disgusting and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was investigated. Whether that was one of the things that bothered Luke or not, the fact he left the stage in the manner he did after the match wasn’t anything to do with being a ‘bad loser’.
“If James hadn’t done anything provocative, Luke’s reaction to defeat would have been very different.
“Obviously I’ve been in my fair share of incidents, and there was one time when I lost to Kim Huybrechts at the World Cup and I walked off without shaking his hand. I was called a bad loser then but I was just mad at myself – not at Kim. So, these things can happen at the end of a match when there’s been no bad blood.”
Wade isn’t exactly the most gracious in defeat anyway. Some of the handshakes he’s given down the years have been perfunctory at best.
Just two days after earning all that praise for bringing Beau Greaves back on stage, Humphries found himself being harshly criticised by some fans on social media for a frosty handshake and a small shoulder barge.
“We’ve got to give him credit for what he’s done in the sport for over 20 years, but he’s not an angel. Let’s instead focus on what an incredible role model Luke Humphries is and a fantastic ambassador for our sport,” one wrote.
Another added: “Just two days after earning all that praise for bringing Beau Greaves back on stage, Humphries found himself being harshly criticised by some fans on social media for a frosty handshake and a small shoulder barge.”
Humphries’ reaction to Greaves was just another example of how he recognises the bigger picture. He’s always been so magnanimous about the way Luke Littler takes the lion’s share of the spotlight even when others feel he’s been ‘overlooked’, while on this occasion he wanted to ensure Greaves got the credit she deserved.
