Luke Humphries escaped any penalty for a series of missed finishing doubles by overcoming a sub‑par Dave Chisnall to 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 prime contender after defending champion Luke Littler suffered a surprising loss to Luke Woodhouse on opening night. The "Cool Hand" – sporting a small scab on his forehead that he blamed on an allergic reaction – dispatched Chisnall 2‑0 despite posting a modest average of 80.41 and converting just 26 % of his doubles. The win sets up a second‑round clash with Jermaine Wattimena, who earlier eliminated Chris Dobey.
Chisnall briefly threatened to force a deciding set, but a missed checkout allowed the world No. 2 to seal the match on double four, after which he appeared to hush a vocal spectator. Meanwhile, two seeded players fell on Tuesday evening.
In addition to Humphries’ triumph, Josh Rock was ousted by Dutch newcomer Niels Zonneveld, who produced three finishes exceeding 100 in the third set to earn a last‑16 encounter with Gary Anderson. Rock had at one point attempted a daring 101 finish – bullseye, 1, bullseye – and had raised the excitement level by following a 180 with a spectacular 151, but Zonneveld ultimately forced a deciding set and prevailed. Dobey also suffered an early exit for the third consecutive year. "Hollywood" – a nickname for Rock – burned four darts to break Wattimena in the opening leg, but his average slipped below 80 and he struggled to hit the mandatory starting double.
His only flash of brilliance was a blistering 128 checkout at the start of the second set; he nonetheless fell 2‑0. James Wade, on the other hand, rallied from a set down and shrugged off six missed match darts across two visits to defeat Joe Cullen 2‑1, keeping alive his quest for a third Grand Prix crown and his first title 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 and move into a winning position. Wade hesitated briefly, missed double top and double 10 in the third leg of the deciding set, but recovered to hit double 10 on his next attempt and 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. The day also brought further disappointment for Damon Heta, who recorded his sixth straight first‑round loss – he 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 Anderson. Anderson, the 2016 runner‑up to Michael van Gerwen, swept the third set 3‑0 while posting a lofty 110 average.
In other action, Gian van Veen defeated compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode in straight sets, securing his first win on this stage after first‑round 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, finally found his scoring rhythm but missed two attempts at double 16, forcing a decider which he ultimately lost. Van Veen will now meet Ryan Searle after "Heavy Metal" punished William O'Connor for four missed match darts, winning the final three legs of their encounter after dropping the first five. O'Connor’s electric run began with a 95 checkout using back‑to‑back double 19s, but the Irishman – making his first appearance at this event in over a decade – could not sustain the momentum.
The tournament continues with matches played first to three sets from 7 p.m. each evening.
Day three will be broadcast live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 7 p.m. on Wednesday, with daily coverage continuing through to the final on Sunday.
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