Live Darts on Wednesday | World Grand Prix 2025 Day Three Preview and Order of Play
The second round gets under way at the 2025 World Grand Prix in Leicester on Wednesday with four former World Champions in action.
The opening round of the unique double-start tournament saw seven seeds fall foul to the short format, including two former winners of this title.
Five of the world’s top eight, however, remain in the running for the £120,000 top prize and will look to flex their muscles as the format increases.
World number one Luke Humphries resumes his bid for a third consecutive final appearance at the Mattioli Arena as he faces Krzysztof Ratajski in the Last 16.
Humphries famously clinched his first major ranking title here two years ago courtesy of a 138 checkout, and the rest is history, with a further seven major titles having followed.
World Masters and Premier League champion this year, Humphries came close to retaining this title in 2024, narrowly losing out to Mike De Decker in the final.
Having made light work of 2022 finalist Nathan Aspinall in the opening round, Humphries now comes up against another typically tenacious opponent in Ratajski.
Ratajski is making his sixth appearance in the World Grand Prix, having reached the quarter-finals in 2021, and landed his eighth Players Championship title in Hildesheim back in May.
The Polish number one pulled off an impressive straight sets victory over German number one Martin Schindler on opening night with a 96 average and will be determined to continue in that ruthless vein.
Another mouth-watering tie sees two-time World Champion Gary Anderson face former Masters champion Joe Cullen.
Anderson finished runner-up in this event in Dublin back in 2016 but has not been beyond the second round in each of his last four appearances.
The 54-year-old Scot battled past fellow veteran Raymond van Barneveld in round one in a tense last-leg shootout.
Cullen is defending £40,000 in prize money from his run to the semi-finals two years ago and marked a timely return to form by securing his second Players Championship title of the season last month.
The former Premier League runner-up enjoyed a straight sets win over two-time Grand Prix champion James Wade on Monday and is now vying to reach a third consecutive quarter-final in this event.
Meanwhile, fourth seed Stephen Bunting faces a tough assignment against an in-form Danny Noppert.
Bunting reached the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in 2014 and 2021 and has enjoyed a sensational season so far, picking up two European Tour titles, two Players Championships and two World Series titles.
The Premier League star averaged 97 in a commanding straight sets win over German debutant Niko Springer in his opener, while Noppert dug deep to deny Jermaine Wattimena in a last-set decider.
Noppert was a semi-finalist here in 2021 and recently reached the final of the Hungarian Darts Trophy with victory over Littler along the way.
The opening match of the night sees former World Champion Rob Cross face multiple Players Championship event winner Cameron Menzies.
Cross is looking to improve on a poor record in this unique event, with last year’s run to the quarter-finals marking his best performance in eight attempts.
The ninth seed battled his way to a deciding-leg victory over Dutch debutant Wessel Nijman in the opening match of the tournament, while Menzies dispatched Chris Dobey in straight sets to register his first win in this event.
Menzies has endured a rollercoaster of a year, winning a Players Championship event and reaching a further two finals, but also suffering disastrous early exits at the World Matchplay and World Series Finals with averages of 81 and 66 respectively.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with second round matches to be contested over the best of five sets.
All sets are the best of five legs and there will be no tie break in any set. All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before they can begin scoring in each leg.
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BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix 2025 Day Three Schedule
Wednesday October 8
Second Round
7pm-11pm
Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross
Stephen Bunting v Danny Noppert
Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski
Joe Cullen v Gary Anderson
