2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix: Day One Preview
On Monday 7th October, the 2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix returns to the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
The only double-start event in the PDC calendar sees 32 players vying for the title and the £120,000 first prize. The tournament, headlined by defending champion and world number one Luke Humphries, will also see Luke Littler make his World Grand Prix debut.
Scarcely believably, a year ago in the same venue, world champion Luke Humphries came into the tournament looking for his first PDC televised ranking title.
This time round, with 5 such titles to his name including the biggest of them all, Humphries begins the defence of his maiden title with a mouthwatering tie against Stephen Bunting.
Here’s what else to look out for on the opening night of the 2024 BoyleSports World Grand Prix.
Monday night’s key ties
The action gets underway in Leicester with world number 15 Josh Rock taking on Ryan Joyce, before the first man to hit a 9-darter in this event, Brendan Dolan, takes on the now two-time PDC European Tour title winner Martin Schindler.
Monday night also sees 2021 World Grand Prix champion Jonny Clayton kick off his campaign against Ritchie Edhouse followed by 2022 runner up Nathan Aspinall taking on Ryan Searle.
Humphries and Bunting will take to the stage in a rematch of their recent Players Championship 26 final, which Cool Hand won 8-7 last Thursday.
That matchup precedes the debut of teenage star Luke Littler, who couldn’t have a much tougher assignment for his first start in this tournament. Rob Cross is in the other corner in Leicester and will be aiming to improve upon a best finish of the last 16 in the event.
Night one is rounded off with a potential cracker between Gian van Veen and Ross Smith.
The BoyleSports World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
Schedule of Play
Monday October 7 (1800 BST)
8x First Round matches
Josh Rock v Ryan Joyce
Brendan Dolan v Martin Schindler
Jonny Clayton v Ritchie Edhouse
Nathan Aspinall v Ryan Searle
Raymond van Barneveld v Ricardo Pietreczko
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
Rob Cross v Luke Littler
Gian van Veen v Ross Smith