Luke Humphries avoided any penalty for 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 times in a row – winning the 2023 edition and finishing runner‑up twice since – now stands as the leading contender after defending champion Luke Littler suffered a surprise loss to Luke Woodhouse on opening night. The "Cool Hand" showed a small scar on his forehead, which he blamed on an allergic reaction, but it did not hinder his performance. He beat Chisnall 2‑0, posting an average of just 80.41 and converting only 26 % of his doubles.
The victory sets up a second‑round clash with Jermaine Wattimena, the player who eliminated Chris Dobey in the previous round. Chisnall briefly threatened to push the match to a deciding set, but a missed checkout allowed the world No. 2 to seal the win on double four, after which Humphries appeared to quiet a heckler in the audience. Elsewhere, two seeded players fell on Tuesday night.
Chris Dobey was one of them, joining Josh Rock, who was ousted by Dutch newcomer Niels Zonneveld. Zonneveld produced three finishes of 100 points or more in the third set, earning a place in the last‑16 where he will meet Gary Anderson. Rock, who at one stage tried a daring 101 finish (bull‑eye, 1, bull‑eye), had lit up the arena by following a perfect 180 with a spectacular 151, breaking Zonneveld’s rhythm and forcing a deciding set.
Dobey, for his part, suffered a first‑round exit for the third consecutive year. His opponent, dubbed "Hollywood," burned four darts to take the opening leg but then averaged below 80 and struggled to hit the required starting double in each leg.
His only flash of brilliance was a blazing 128 checkout at the start of the second set, but he ultimately lost 2‑0. James Wade mounted a comeback from a set down, shrugging off six missed match darts spread over two visits to defeat Joe Cullen 2‑1.
Wade is still chasing his third World Grand Prix title and his first in 16 years. A pivotal moment arrived in the fourth leg of the second set when Wade hit the bull for an 81 finish, just as Cullen was poised to break his throw and move into a winning position.
Wade hesitated briefly, missed double top and double ten in the third leg of the deciding set, but then nailed double ten to clinch the match. Wade’s next opponent will be Stephen Bunting, who edged past Andrew Gilding 2‑1 in the final match of the round.
Australian Damon Heta endured further Grand Prix misery, recording his sixth straight first‑round loss – he has yet to win a match at this event. After taking a one‑set lead, Heta squandered a match dart at double five in the second set against Anderson, allowing the Englishman to sweep the third set 3‑0 while posting a 110 average. Gian van Veen finally broke his opening‑round hoodoo, beating fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in straight sets for 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, found his scoring touch later but missed two attempts at double 16, forcing a decider.
Van Veen will now face Ryan Searle after "Heavy Metal" punished William O'Connor’s four missed match darts, winning the final three legs of their encounter after dropping the first 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 momentum.
The action continues from 7 p.m., with matches played to the best of three sets. Viewers can watch day three live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 7 p.m. on Wednesday, with daily coverage extending 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.