Luke Humphries weathered a flurry of missed finishing doubles to book his place in the second round of the World Grand Prix in Leicester, overcoming a below-par Dave Chisnall in a hard-fought contest.
Humphries, who has established a formidable record in this prestigious tournament by reaching the last three consecutive finals—including lifting the trophy in 2023 followed by two runner-up finishes—now finds himself installed as the tournament favourite. This shift in momentum at the Morningside Arena comes in the wake of defending champion Luke Littler’s shock first-round exit at the hands of Luke Woodhouse on the opening night of the double-in, double-out tournament.
Sporting a noticeable scab on his forehead, which he attributed to an allergic reaction, the man affectionately known as "Cool Hand" labored somewhat against Chisnall but ultimately secured a 2-0 victory. His statistics on the board reflected a battle rather than a masterclass: Humphries posted an average of just 80.41 and converted only 26 percent of his attempts at the doubles. Despite the statistical struggles, the win was enough to safely navigate him through to the next stage, where he is set to face Jermaine Wattimena on Thursday evening following Wattimena’s impressive victory over Chris Dobey.
The match reached its decisive boiling point when Chisnall had a golden opportunity to break Humphries’ throw and force a deciding set. However, under intense pressure, Chisnall suffered the ultimate heartbreak of busting his score. Capitalising on the error, the world No 2 calmly wrapped up the victory on double four. True to the high-stakes theatre of elite professional darts, Humphries marked the conclusion of the match by gesturing to quiet someone in the crowd, adding a flash of fiery emotion to an otherwise gritty performance.
Chisnall was far from the only high-profile casualty on a dramatic Tuesday evening in the East Midlands. Chris Dobey was one of two significant seeds to tumble out of the competition during a night of high drama, alongside Josh Rock, whose tournament came to a heartbreaking end against resilient Dutch debutant Niels Zonneveld.
Zonneveld booked his place in the last 16—where a formidable date with veteran Gary Anderson awaits—by pulling off a sensational sequence of three ton-plus finishes in the pivotal third set. Rock had injected pure electricity into the arena earlier in the match, most notably when he followed up a maximum 180 by slamming home a roof-raising 151 checkout to break Zonneveld and drag the contest into a deciding set. Earlier, Rock even attempted an audacious and uniquely risky 101 finish utilising the bullseye, a single, and another bullseye, a route that left Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle with plenty to analyze from the commentary gantry.
For Dobey, the defeat compounds a deeply frustrating run at this specific major, sealing a first-round exit for the third consecutive year. "Hollywood" struggled mightily to find his rhythm, averaging below 80 overall and battling severe difficulties with the mandatory starting double that defines the World Grand Prix format. Aside from a sizzling 128 checkout at the very start of the second set that briefly offered a glimpse of his true capability, Dobey’s evening was defined by a failure to launch legs effectively, ultimately burning four crucial darts just trying to break Wattimena in the opening leg before slipping out of the tournament.
Wade Progresses but More Grand Prix Woe for Heta
James Wade showed all of his trademark resilience as he fought back from a set down to keep his hopes of a third World Grand Prix title—and a first in 16 years—alive. The experienced left-hander shrugged off a worrying spell that saw him miss six match darts spread across two separate visits, eventually edging past Joe Cullen 2-1 in a tense encounter.
The turning point of the match arrived during a critical fourth leg in the second set. With Cullen positioning himself menacingly for a break of throw that would have left him casting for the match itself, Wade produced a clutch moment under pressure by hitting the bullseye for a brilliant 81 finish.
The closing stages were vintage, nerve-jangling Wade. He "faffed about" with his opportunities before finally crossing the finishing line, squandering arrows at double top and double 10 during the third leg of the deciding set. Showing his legendary composure, however, he returned in the next leg to pin double 10 and seal his progression. Wade’s reward is a mouth-watering second-round clash against Stephen Bunting, who successfully navigated his own tricky path by defeating Andrew Gilding 2-1 in the final match of the round.
There was further heartbreak for Australia’s Damon Heta, who extended his miserable run at the World Grand Prix. Heta suffered his sixth consecutive first-round defeat, maintaining an unwanted record of having never won a single match at the tournament. The Australian surrendered a one-set lead against Gary Anderson and paid a heavy price for wasting a vital match dart at double five in the second set. Anderson, the 2016 runner-up to Michael van Gerwen, ruthlessly punished the miss, sweeping the third set 3-0 while posting a blistering 110 average to slam the door shut.
Elsewhere, Gian van Veen produced a polished display to dismiss fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in straight sets. The victory marks Van Veen’s first-ever win on this major stage, following opening-round exits in 2024 and 2025 at the hands of Ross Smith and Luke Littler respectively. Van Duijvenbode had endured an abject start, losing the first five legs without registering a meaningful foothold, but finally found his scoring power late in the piece only to squander two attempts at double 16 that would have forced a deciding set.
Van Veen’s reward is a second-round meeting with Ryan Searle. Known as ‘Heavy Metal’, Searle booked his ticket by turning the tables on William O’Connor, punishing the Irishman for four missed match darts by sweeping the final three legs of the match after having lost the previous five. O’Connor had played some electrifying darts after dropping the first set, highlighted by a stunning 95 checkout executed via back-to-back double 19s. However, making his first appearance at the event in over a decade, the momentum ultimately slipped through the Irishman’s fingers as Searle dug deep to advance.
Fans can catch all the action from day three of the World Grand Prix live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event, with daily coverage continuing right through to Sunday’s tournament-deciding final.