Luke Humphries delivered a markedly stronger performance in the latest round of the World Grand Prix, showcasing his double‑start expertise and a flawless 10‑dart leg to clinch a 3‑0 victory over Jermaine Wattimena, thereby booking his place in the quarter‑finals. The evening also featured solid 3‑1 wins for James Wade and Niels Zonneveld, who dispatched Stephen Bunting and Gary Anderson respectively, while Gian Van Veen survived a nail‑biting decider to edge past Ryan Searle 3‑2. Humphries entered the tournament as one of the favourites after the defending champion, Luke Littler, suffered an upset at the hands of Luke Woodhouse on opening night. His earlier match against Dave Chisnall had been underwhelming – he posted an average of just 80 and hit a meagre 26 % on his closing doubles in a tidy 2‑0 win on Tuesday.
In stark contrast, his latest showing was a dramatic turnaround. The 2023 champion and runner‑up in both 2024 and 2025 posted an average of 94.11, converted 64 % of his finishing doubles, and, most strikingly, hit a staggering 74 % on his opening doubles, repeatedly targeting double 16 early in each leg.
Nicknamed “Cool Hand,” Humphries will now meet fellow Dutchman Niels Zonneveld in the quarter‑finals on Friday. He opened the third set with a perfect 10‑dart finish, a rare feat that underscored his renewed confidence.
Wattimena, by contrast, faltered twice by selecting the wrong double in the opening set, a mistake that proved costly. After the match, Humphries reflected on his form: "I’ve got a good chance of winning this. At the moment I’m a bit up and down, but if I can put that right I’m going to be tough to beat. It wasn’t the best performance, but it was a good performance.
It was a lot better than it was on Tuesday. I think I got in every time with my first three darts. When you’re doing stuff like that, it’s going to take a top performance to beat you." James Wade also impressed, delivering a masterclass in opening play that propelled him into his eighth World Grand Prix quarter‑final. Wade unleashed a 160 finish five times during his 3‑1 triumph over Bunting, a display that highlighted his scoring power on the double‑start format.
He later commented, "I am so grateful as it is so hard to win with a double start. We can all play it cool and pretend to be relaxed but it is awful, it is hellish, really hard work.
I don’t feel anywhere near my best but I am having to play better against better players. I have loads more gears to go – but talk is cheap. And I am full of cheap talk!" In another exciting encounter, Ryan Searle produced the tournament’s highest checkout of the week – a 167 – before falling short against Van Veen. Searle broke the Dutchman’s serve with a 100 checkout in the fourth set, only to be broken immediately in the deciding leg.
Van Veen, who had led 2‑0 in the penultimate set before Searle leveled the score at 2‑2, responded with a blistering 3‑0 finish in the final set to clinch the match. Van Veen explained his mindset after the win: "When I was 2‑1 down in sets, I was like, ‘oh no, this is not how I want to go out’. As good as double 16 went for me in the first round, it kind of bothered me today.
But at the end it really came good. I was quite happy with my scoring, but just missed a couple of darts at a crucial time.
Luckily I got the job done." Niels Zonneveld continued his impressive run by eliminating Gary Anderson after a dominant opening‑round victory over Josh Rock. Zonneveld’s first set saw every leg go against the throw, a rare occurrence that set the tone for his match. Anderson’s start was disastrous – he hit a single 1, suffered two bounce‑outs, and later missed a bullseye for the leg, leading to another bounce‑out in the fourth set.
Zonneveld capitalised, breaking Anderson’s throw before sealing the win in the following leg. The 28‑year‑old Zonneveld reflected on his progress: "Especially in this tournament, it is one of the biggest things in my whole career.
I have achieved many things Pro Tour‑wise and Euro Tour‑wise but not on the main stage, just once at the World Series Finals. I have become a dad so less sleep and all that but I feel in rhythm again." The tournament format remains first to three sets, with matches beginning at 7 p.m.
each evening. Fans can watch the quarter‑finals live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 7 p.m. on Friday, with daily coverage continuing through to the final on Sunday.
For those seeking flexible viewing options, NOW offers a contract‑free streaming alternative, and the latest Sky Sports deals are also available for viewers looking to catch every dart‑throwing moment of this thrilling competition.