“We won tonight, but we didn't play well either, which is a good thing,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.
“Last year, I told myself for weeks that I wanted to win, that I wanted a certain number of points. This year I changed the way I did things, played week by week, and now I don't have a goal. I have a lot on my shoulders. There was a lot of pressure.''
Van Gerwen's average of 93.85 was significantly lower than Humphries' 101.37, but both players struggled with finishing, taking 30% and 29.4% respectively.
Dutchman Van Gerwen, aiming to win the event for the third year in a row, defeated Peter Wright and Rob Cross with averages of 89.63 and 99.04 points, but was efficient at the checkout.
Humphries averaged over 100 points in all three games and believes this night marks progress after losing in the quarterfinals and semifinals in the first two tournaments.
Littler was disappointed as he attempted a double-double against Price but failed, paving the way for the Welshman to win the deciding leg.
Scotland's Wright and Nathan Aspinall are both still without a win after the opening three nights, but although the former struggled again in doubles, his loss to Van Gerwen marked a significant improvement in his overall level.
Aspinall started well, opening up a 3–1 lead over Humphries, but his standard dropped significantly as the match progressed.
Both hope to open accounts in Newcastle on February 22nd.
