World number one Luke Humphries continued his defense of his World Grand Prix title with a 3-1 win over Germany’s Ricardo Pietrezko in the second round on Wednesday.
In a reenactment of a thrilling World Championship match late last year, Humphries showed his class in short order to dominate Pietrecko, cementing his status as the favorite to win the tournament following Luke Littler’s first-round loss. He insisted.
Humphries, 29, will face Johnny Clayton in Friday’s quarter-final after the Welshman defeated Ross Smith 3-1.
“Ricardo played a great darts game,” said Humphries, who averaged 92 points and made three darts in the 180s, sealing his spot in the quarterfinals.
“If he had played any other guy tonight, he might have won the match, but he got through in the end.
“Those six darts at the end of the third set were decisive. It could have been a lot different, but 180 darts followed by 130 darts won us the match.”
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Humphries won a crucial third set against Pitretsko at the World Grand Prix with an impressive 130 checkout.
Humphries dominated the first set by winning all three legs, but Pietrezko raised his game and broke his opponent at the end of the second set to tie the match.
Pietrezko missed a dart in the D20 and broke Humphries at the start of the third, but the world champion punished him with a brilliant 112 checkout (20, T20, D16) and a held throw.
A stunning 130 checkout (T20, T20, D5) gave Humphries a decisive break and won the third set, before he stepped on the gas and won the fourth set, finishing in the bullseye.
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Humphries finished with a 112 to win the third set, which was a key moment in the match.
Aspinall loses to Joyce in thriller
Nathan Aspinall lost 3-2 in the final to Ryan Joyce in a thrilling opening match of the night.
Remarkably, the first ten legs went to toss, so the pair each won a set, before Joyce got the first break of the match at the start of the third set and won that set.
Joyce was close to winning the fourth set, but needed a checkout of 114 in the deciding leg of the set. He hit T18 but missed the single 20 that would have left him at the top.
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Aspinall breaks Joyce’s throw for the first time and takes a decisive fifth set.
Aspinall punished him with a stunning 89 (T19, D16) finish and took the match into the final set.
Leading 2-1 in the final set, ‘The Asp’ missed two match darts, which Joyce took advantage of, necessitating the final leg.
Joyce initially missed two match darts on D6, but Aspinall found D18 and was unable to win the match, and on the third request Joyce got D6, knocking out last year’s World Matchplay Champion. did.
“I thought I held myself really well in the final set,” said Joyce, who was tentatively breaking into the world top 32 for the first time.
“Nathan put a lot of pressure on me and I’m really happy to win. This is a tournament that I love to play in and I’m 100 percent confident that I can win this title. .”
“I have prepared well for this tournament. It is a dangerous opponent, so I will do my best!”
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Joyce won an epic contest with Aspinall, who missed three match darts.
Cross advances to the quarterfinals for the first time
Former world champion Rob Cross beat Martin Schindler 3-1 to reach the last eight of a World Grand Prix for the first time in his career.
Cross sprinted to the first set, but Schindler surprisingly won five legs in a row, but it was Cross who won the third set in the deciding leg.
Schindler then couldn’t find his best darts and Cross won the fourth set and will face Joyce in Friday’s quarterfinals.
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Cross achieved this amazing 105 finish en route to defeating Schindler…
“I’ve been through a lot of trials and tribulations in this competition, so it feels great to reach the quarter-finals,” Cross revealed.
“This year I’ve started to feel a little more comfortable at times, so that’s an improvement and things are moving in the right direction.
“I’m now looking forward to Friday. Ryan is a really strong finisher and he reminds me a little bit of myself. I have to improve, but I’m going to give everything to that match.”
Clayton looks at Smith.
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Ross Smith made these two huge checkouts in the loss to Creighton
2021 champion Jonny Clayton saw off Ross Smith in the evening’s finale despite ‘Smudger’ getting off to a blistering start against the Welshman, posting 149 checkouts and 145 checkouts in the early exchanges. Ta.
However, “The Ferret” returned to the contest and led in three consecutive sets, advancing to the first televised ranking quarterfinals since July 2023.
What’s happening at Thursday’s World Grand Prix?
Gurney defeated Van Gerwen in the first round of the World Grand Prix
Darryl Gurney, who whitewashed six-time champion Michael van Gerwen, returns for a second-round showdown with 2023 semi-finalist Joe Cullen, returning to Leicester with an impressive come-from-behind victory over in-form Chris Dobbie fulfilled.
2016 runner-up Gary Anderson has the highest season average of any other player on the PDC Pro Tour, and is perhaps the most in-form player on the circuit, “Flying Scotsman” and Dutchman Mike Dekker. Compete against.
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Van Gerwen failed to pick up a win when he lost to Gurney in the first round, leaving Wayne Mardle baffled by the Dutchman’s management of the board.
Gerwyn Price will continue his bid for a second successful double start when he takes on two-time winner James Wade, while two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall will take on Belgium’s Dimitri van den Bergh.
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