Luke Humphries escaped the repercussions of a series of missed finishing doubles by dispatching a sub‑par Dave Chisnall to secure his place in the second round of the World Grand Prix in Leicester. Humphries, who has reached the final of this tournament three consecutive times – lifting the trophy in 2023 and finishing runner‑up on the two other occasions – entered the event as the new front‑runner after defending champion Luke Littler suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Luke Woodhouse on opening night. The "Cool Hand" continued his strong form despite sporting a small scab on his forehead, which he attributed to an allergic reaction. He beat Chisnall 2‑0, posting an average of just 80.41 and converting only 26% of his doubles, yet still managed to book a second‑round clash with Jermaine Wattimena, the player who had previously eliminated Chris Dobey.
Chisnall briefly threatened to force a deciding set, but a missed checkout saw Humphries close out the match on double four, after which he appeared to hush a heckler in the audience. Defending champion Luke Littler’s early exit opened the draw for other seeds, and two of them fell on Tuesday evening. Josh Rock was knocked out by Dutch newcomer Niels Zonneveld, who produced three separate 100+ finishes in the third set to claim a last‑16 spot against Gary Anderson. Rock had at one point tried an audacious 101 finish – bullseye, single 1, bullseye – and had even followed a perfect 180 with a spectacular 151 to level the match before Zonneveld forced a deciding set.
Meanwhile, Chris Dobey also suffered a first‑round loss for the third straight year. In his match, "Hollywood" (a nickname for Rock) burned four darts to break Wattimena’s opening leg, but his overall average slipped below 80 and he struggled to hit the required starting double in many legs.
His only flash of brilliance was a sizzling 128 checkout at the start of the second set, yet he ultimately fell 2‑0. James Wade, however, displayed resilience. After dropping the first set, he weathered six missed match darts spread over two visits and turned the tide to defeat Joe Cullen 2‑1, keeping alive his quest for a third Grand Prix title – the first he has won in 16 years. A pivotal moment arrived in the fourth leg of the second set when Wade hit the bull for an 81 checkout, just as Cullen was poised to break and move into a winning position.
Wade then hesitated briefly before finally sealing the leg, squandering chances at double top and double 10 in the third leg of the decider, but ultimately clinched the match by hitting double 10 on the next throw. Wade’s victory sets up a showdown with Stephen Bunting, who advanced by beating Andrew Gilding 2‑1 in the final match of the round. The day also brought further disappointment for Damon Heta, who endured his sixth consecutive first‑round defeat at the Grand Prix – the Australian has yet to win a match at this venue.
Heta surrendered a one‑set lead and missed a match dart at double five in the second set against Gary Anderson. Anderson, the 2016 runner‑up to Michael van Gerwen, responded by sweeping the third set 3‑0 while posting an impressive 110 average. In another notable result, Gian van Veen overcame fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in straight sets, earning his first win on this stage after early exits in 2024 and 2025 to Ross Smith and Littler respectively. Van Duijvenbode, after a poor start that saw him lose the first five legs, managed to find his scoring rhythm later on but missed two attempts at double 16, forcing a deciding leg.
Van Veen will now face Ryan Searle after "Heavy Metal" (Searle’s nickname) survived four missed match darts from William O'Connor to progress, winning the final three legs after having lost the preceding five. O'Connor’s electrifying run began with a 95 checkout using back‑to‑back double 19s, but the Irishman – appearing at the Grand Prix for the first time in over a decade – eventually lost his way. The tournament continues with matches played first to three sets from 7 p.m.
each evening. Viewers can watch day three live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event starting at 7 p.m.
on Wednesday, with daily coverage continuing through to the final on Sunday. For those without a Sky subscription, the latest Sky Sports deals or a contract‑free stream on NOW are available.