Luke Littler dumped OUT in Round One as Humphries pulls off a heroic comeback on Day One of the 2024 World Grand Prix.

Joy for Joyce and Satisfaction for Schindler

Josh Rock and Ryan Joyce kicked off proceedings and it was Relentless who took the first set, punishing Rock who missed two darts himself to take the first set of the Tournament. Despite his high ‘doubling in’ percentage, Josh Rock had a torrid time finishing legs and it was Joyce who won the last 3 legs to book his spot in the Last 16 with ease.

Game 2 saw the newly crowned Swiss Darts Trophy champion Martin Schindler face the struggling Brendan Dolan, who famously hit the first ever 9-Darter in the World Grand Prix back in 2011. It was Schindler who flew into an early lead with a 100% record on starting doubles, a slow start from Dolan meant he did not have a shot to win any of the three legs in the opening set. Leg 4 in Set 2 saw some darting drama as Schindler missed three match darts to win 2-0 which allowed Dolan to pin D3 to throw for a final set decider.

However, the fight back was short lived as ‘The Wall’ pinned D16 in the next leg to start his Grand Prix charge with a strong 89 average, a tournament in which he reached the Quarter-Finals stage in 2023.

Back To Their Best

Fresh off a 120 average in midweek on the Pro Tour, Ritchie Edhouse was looking to make a good impression on debut in Leicester and in his way was a former champion in Jonny Clayton. The Welshman got off to a blistering start breaking the Madhouse throw in Leg 1, he backed that up with two 100+ finishes to take the opener with a 102 average.

Despite a dominant score line, Ritchie Edhouse made sure that he wasn’t brushed aside, hitting a 147 checkout to level the 2nd set at one apiece.

Clayton, the provisional world number 6, eventually struggled over the line on Double 2 to wrap up a third consecutive 2-0 win on Night One of the 2024 World Grand Prix.

Nathan Aspinall was looking to showcase he still had ‘it’ after recovering from his elbow injury which put him out of action for 3 months, he had a hard task against Ryan Searle who was looking to bounce back himself after his Euro Tour heartbreak in which he missed 7 darts to win his maiden title.

‘The Asp’ also had the added pressure of defending his final ranking money from 2022 but that didn’t seem to bother the Stockport Slinger as he won the first set with a 92 average, this average wasn’t maintained for long however as it took Aspinall 10 darts to start the first leg in the second set, a moment in which he saw the funny side of, the form didn’t turn around in the rest of that set as Searle set up a deciding set for the first time on Night 1.

In one of the best deciding legs in World Grand Prix history, Nathan Aspinall went 7 darts into the perfect 9 dart leg but maintained composure to set up D12 for a 10 dart leg, before returning to win the match in 12 darts on a nervy D3. It was yet more heartbreak for Ryan Searle who himself had left 40 after 12 darts for the match, but wasn’t allowed a shot.

The Reigning Champion Back From The Brink

It was another tournament debut as Ricardo Pietreczko stepped out onto the World Grand Prix stage for the first time, his injuries woes seemed to be non existent as he picked Raymond Van Barneveld’s pocket to win his first set in Leicester.

Despite winning the first set, it was ‘Pikachu’ who was left feeling embarrassed as he hit a T20 despite not having hit a double to start the leg, despite this fail, he still won the leg with a clinical 87 checkout to make it level in legs.

Set 2 saw ‘Barney’ survive a match dart at tops from the German Number 3 and he punished that miss with a clutch 36 checkout to send it all the way for the second consecutive match.

Despite getting back into the game, it was a familiar look of despair from Van Barneveld throughout the set as Pietreczko sealed a brilliant victory.

A blockbuster clash between the reigning World Grand Prix and World Champion Luke Humphries and the reigning Masters Champion Stephen Bunting was next up, a rematch of the most recent Players Championship Final in which Humphries was the victor.

There was no doubt that this matchup would deliver but it was a brilliant blitz from ‘The Bullet’ who took the first set without reply in less than 6 minutes to worry the World Number One right from the get go.

Bunting missed a match dart on D16 to whitewash the World Champion 6-0 in legs and Humphries capitalised on this failure to win the next 3 legs and somehow, level the game at 1-1.

In typical Humphries fashion, he didn’t dwell on his slow start and pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Grand Prix to heap more finishing line misery on Stephen Bunting having come into the tournament losing the last three Pro Tour Finals.

Blockbuster Battle Between Cross And Littler

In the stand out tie from the draw, the bookies favourite Luke Littler took on Rob Cross, a repeat of the World Championship Semi-Final. Littler had won 7 out of the 8 meetings against Cross so would have been optimistic going into this mouth watering tie.

It was a slow start from both players, with the averages in the mid 80s through out the first set. The 2018 World Champion has a poor record at this event but he got off to a great start in 2024 as he took the first set to unsettle The Nuke.

Littler looked in trouble in parts in Set 2 but composed himself to hit his favoured D10 to level up the match, Cross was sitting on 98 to win just his 3rd ever World Grand Prix match.

Just when Littler looked vulnerable, a 165 set up shot to leave 40 made sure he held throw at a crucial point but Cross went one leg away in magnificent fashion to rattle the feathers of the reigning Premier League Champion.

Rob Cross saved his best World Grand Prix performance for the perfect moment as he defeated the pre tournament favourite Luke Littler to set up a tie against Martin Schindler.

The final match on Night One was, on paper, a very even contest between Dutch debutant Gian Van Veen and World Number 10 Ross Smith. It’s a big end of the year rankings wise for ‘Smudger’ as he defends his 2022 European Championship win so a big run at a major tournament would relieve the pressure on his position on the order of merit.

Smith meant business in the opening stages as he comfortably won the first set against the nervous Van Veen.

The game seemed bleak for the World Youth Finalist but, almost out of nowhere he pinned a 170 checkout, the first of this years tournament.

Ross Smith rounded off the night with the highest average of the night, just shy of 102, a statement performance from a potential winner.

2024 World Grand Prix

Last 32

7th October 2024

Josh Rock 0-2 Ryan Joyce

Brendan Dolan 0-2 Martin Schindler

Jonny Clayton 2-0 Ritchie Edhouse

Nathan Aspinall 2-1 Ryan Searle

Raymond van Barneveld 1-2 Ricardo Pietreczko

Luke Humphries 2-1 Stephen Bunting

Rob Cross 2-1 Luke Littler

Gian Van Veen 0-2 Ross Smith