The Boylesports World Grand Prix kicked off tonight with eight first round ties. Four of the eight seeds took to the oche and all but one progressed to the second round including the defending champion Jonny Clayton. Jose de Sousa was upset by a timeless performance from Adrian Lewis and became the first of this years seeds to exit the tournament.

Defending Champ Survives an Early Scare

In the initial stages of this game, Johnny Clayton looked a long way off the form that took him to the Boylesports World Grand Prix title last year. The Ferret had trouble getting going in the first set struggling to adapt to the “double in” format. Dirk van Duijvenbode took advantage of this early in the match. The dutchman raced ahead taking the first set 3-1 with a massive twenty point gap in the averages at the first break and checking out 156 to take the set.

The break came at the perfect time for Clayton who came back to the oche looking focused and determined. van Duijvenbode on the other hand looked unsettled, frustrated with the crowd and lacking the poise that allowed him to close out the first set. The Ferret hit his rhythm pinning a 130 checkout and he looked comfortable going into the deciding set. Van Duijvenbode struggled again to regain his early form and Clayton never looked in doubt closing the decider out 3-1.

Clayton now moves on to a second round meeting with Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Jackpot Rolls back the Years

12 years after reaching the World Grand Prix final, Adrian Lewis rolls back the years with a timeless performance to dispatch Jose de Sousa. The Portuguese became the first of this years seeds to leave the tournament. Two time World Champion Lewis threw three 100+ checkouts in the short form match pinning 101, 147 and 152 en route to victory.

De Sousa looked on the verge of forcing a deciding set when he took a 2-0 lead in the second. Lewis had other ideas and the man from Stoke-on-Trent dug in and got the job done. Lewis’ victory sets up a second round clash with Newcastle’s Chris Dobey, the first time since 2018 that Lewis has made the 2nd round of the World Grand Prix

Hollywood Finishing from Dobey

In one of the performances of the night, Chris Dobey put on a Hollywood worthy display to dispatch Luke Humphreys in what many will describe as an upset. Humphreys, currently ranked 11th in the PDC order of merit, had been tipped by many to go far in this year’s tournament. He got off to a good start taking a 2-0 lead in the opening set.

Dobey fought his way back into the set and after tying up 2-2 pinged a superb two D19 combination to take the first set. From there, Dobey looked in complete control, checking out 136 and 138 in consecutive legs for a comfortable victory.

DreamMaker v Chizzy Goes to the Wire

After tonight’s opening three matches finished 2-0 Dave Chisnall and Dimitri Van den Bergh went all the way and for the first time in this year’s World Grand Prix we saw a deciding leg in a deciding set. The two matched each other blow for blow with only a one point difference in average by the end of the tie. After Van den Bergh took the first set 3-1, two time World Grand prix runner up Chisnall took the second set 3-2 to force a decider. The Belgian had three match darts to pin D10 with his opponent on 84 but only needed one. Van den Bergh will meet defending champion Jonny Clayton in the second round.

Favourites Through Comfortably

Tonight’s highest ranked players Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright both got off to a great start with neither dropping a set in their matches against Kim Huybrechts and Gary Anderson respectively. Neither looking in any real danger.

Earlier in the night; last year’s semi finalist Stephen Bunting dispatched former finalist Brendan Dolan 2-0 and Callan Rydz run of not getting past the first round of the Boylesports World Grand Prix continued as he was beaten 2-0 by Krzysztof Ratajski.

Results in full

Callan Rydz 0 v 2 Krzysztof Ratajski

Stephen Bunting 2 v 0 Brendan Dolan

Chris Dobey 2 v 0 Luke Humphries

Dave Chisnall 1 v 2 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Jonny Clayton 2 v 1 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Peter Wright 2 v 0 Kim Huybrechts

Michael Van Gerwen 2 v 0 Gary Anderson

Jose De Sousa v Adrian Lewis

Tomorrow’s Schedule

Madars Razma v Ryan Searle

Ross Smith v Andrew Gilding

Danny Noppert v Gabriel Clemens

Joe Cullen v Damon Heta

Rob Cross v Darryl Gurney

James Wade v Martin Lukeman

Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler

Michael Smith v Nathan Aspinall