Luke Humphries escaped the sting of several missed finishing doubles to overcome a sub‑par Dave Chisnall and secure a 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 – lifting the trophy in 2023 and finishing runner‑up on the two subsequent occasions – now looks the frontrunner after defending champion Luke Littler suffered an unexpected loss to Luke Woodhouse on opening night.
The "Cool Hand" entered the match sporting a small scab on his forehead, which he blamed on an allergic reaction. He dispatched Chisnall in straight sets, 2‑0, despite posting a modest average of 80.41 and converting just 26 % of his doubles.
The victory sets up a second‑round clash with Jermaine Wattimena, who earlier eliminated Chris Dobey. Chisnall had a fleeting opportunity to break Humphries’ rhythm and force a deciding set, but a missed checkout saw the world No.
2 seal the win on a double four, then briefly hush a spectator in the arena. On the same evening, two seeded players fell early. Josh Rock was beaten by Dutch newcomer Niels Zonneveld, who compiled three separate three‑dart scores above 100 in the third set to claim a last‑16 spot against Gary Anderson. Rock, at one stage, attempted a daring 101 finish – bull, single 1, bull – and had previously followed a 180 with a spectacular 151, momentarily turning the tide before Zonneveld rallied to force a deciding set.
Dobey also suffered a first‑round exit for the third consecutive year. The "Hollywood" moniker, who had taken four darts to break Wattimena in the opening leg, struggled with his starting doubles and averaged below 80.
His only flash of brilliance was a blistering 128 checkout at the start of the second set, but he ultimately fell 2‑0. James Wade, meanwhile, recovered from an opening‑set loss and shrugged off six missed match darts across two visits to defeat Joe Cullen 2‑1, keeping his quest for a third Grand Prix title – and his first in 16 years – alive. 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 threatening a break that would have given him the chance to clinch the match.
Wade hesitated briefly, missed double top and double 10 in the third leg of the deciding set, but then nailed double 10 to seal the win. 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 defeat – he has yet to win a match at this venue. After taking a one‑set lead, Heta squandered a match dart at double five in the second set and eventually succumbed to Gary Anderson, who swept the third set 3‑0 while averaging an impressive 110.
Gian van Veen finally broke his opening‑round hoodoo, defeating 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 Luke Littler respectively. Van Duijvenbode, after a disastrous start that saw him lose the first five legs, managed to get back into the match, missing two attempts at double 16 that forced a decider. Van Veen will meet Ryan Searle next, after "Heavy Metal" punished William O'Connor for four missed match darts, clinching the final three legs of their encounter after having lost the preceding five.
O'Connor’s run had been electrifying – he recovered from a first‑set loss by taking out 95 with consecutive double 19s – but the Irishman, appearing at the Grand Prix for the first time in over a decade, eventually ran out of steam. The tournament continues with the standard format of first to three sets, beginning each evening at 7 p.m.
Day three will be broadcast live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage running daily through to the final on Sunday. Viewers can also explore the latest Sky Sports subscription offers or stream the event without a contract via NOW.