Live Darts on Wednesday | World Grand Prix 2026 Day Three Preview and Order of Play
The World Grand Prix enters the second round stage on Wednesday as a host of former major champions bid to keep their title hopes on track in Leicester.
The opening round saw four seeds succumb to the cut-throat short format, including defending champion Luke Littler and six-time champion Michael van Gerwen.
An increase in format now provides extra breathing space for the star names as they look to capitalise on the shock early exit of the odds-on tournament favourite in the top half of the draw.
A re-run of last week’s World Series of Darts final sees Gerwyn Price bidding for revenge over eventual champion Ross Smith.
Smith stormed to his second major title in Amsterdam courtesy of an 11-5 rout of Price with a 103.9 average, and the world number 14 will look to replicate that form in a quest to reach the quarter-finals of this event for the first time.
Despite his preparation being disrupted by illness in the wake of his World Series Finals triumph, Smith recovered from a set down to defeat Cameron Menzies on opening night with a 99.5 average.
World Grand Prix champion behind closed doors in 2020, Price boasts a strong pedigree in the double-start format, having also finished runner-up in 2021 and 2023, with a semi-final run sandwiched in between.
The world number four got his latest campaign off and running with a clinical straight sets win over Polish debutant Sebastian Bialecki, averaging 101.6 in the process.
Jonny Clayton, the 2021 champion, faces a blockbuster clash with two-time European Tour event winner Wessel Nijman.
Fifth seed Clayton, who reached the semi-finals here last year, dug deep to deny Krzysztof Ratajski in a last-set decider on Monday night.
Nijman, meanwhile, registered his first win on this stage by punishing an out of sorts Rob Cross to seal a straight sets victory despite an average of just 82.4.
Luke Woodhouse’s reward for a memorable scalp of Littler on opening night is a showdown with former World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.
Woodhouse inflicted Littler’s first opening round exit in a televised major for two years, continuing a breakthrough season which has seen him clinch a maiden European Tour title and close in on a place in the world’s top 16.
Former finalist Aspinall, meanwhile, recovered from a set down and survived three match darts to edge out Kevin Doets in a decider, narrowly averting what would have been a fifth first round exit in his last seven World Grand Prix appearances.
The opening match of the evening sees former World Grand Prix semi-finalists Danny Noppert and Ryan Joyce go head-to-head.
Noppert, semi-finalist in 2021 and 2025, saw off Germany’s Niko Springer in a deciding set on Monday night courtesy of a strong display of finishing.
Joyce underlined his pedigree over this unique format once again by ousting six-time champion Van Gerwen from a set down, pinning eight of his 12 attempts at finishing doubles.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with second round matches to be contested over the best of five sets.
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World Grand Prix 2026 Day Three Schedule of Play
Wednesday September 30
Second Round
7pm-11pm
Danny Noppert v Ryan Joyce
Jonny Clayton v Wessel Nijman
Gerwyn Price v Ross Smith
Luke Woodhouse v Nathan Aspinall
