World Grand Prix heats up as Welsh rivals collide and quarter-finals take shape
Mark Strijbosch
The World Grand Prix is gaining pace in Leicester, with former champions Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton heading for an all-Welsh quarter-final and several big names already cleared from the draw.
The double-start format has done what it usually does: created pressure, punished slow starts and left the tournament looking very different from the one that began earlier this week.
Defending champion Luke Littler was one of the early casualties, beaten 2-1 by Luke Woodhouse in the opening round, while six-time winner Michael van Gerwen also departed after losing to Ryan Joyce. Those exits opened up sections of the draw and gave several players a major opportunity to go deep.
Woodhouse could not build on his upset, however, as Nathan Aspinall swept him aside 3-0 in the second round. Joyce was just as convincing, beating Danny Noppert by the same scoreline to book a quarter-final meeting with Aspinall.
Welsh showdown takes centre stage
One of the standout ties of the last eight will see Gerwyn Price face Jonny Clayton in an all-Welsh clash.
Price has looked particularly sharp so far. The 2020 champion followed his opening-round victory over Sebastian Białecki with a dominant 3-0 win over Ross Smith and has dropped only five legs across his first two matches.
Clayton’s route has been less straightforward, but the 2021 champion produced some excellent finishing in his 3-1 victory over Wessel Nijman, including four ton-plus checkouts.
That sets up a meeting between two familiar rivals and World Cup team-mates, with a Welsh player guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.
World Grand Prix schedule
Tonight, Thursday October 1st completes the second round from 7pm UK time, with:
Niels Zonneveld vs Gary Anderson
James Wade vs Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries vs Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen vs Ryan Searle
The quarter-finals take place tomorrow, Friday October 2nd from 7pm UK Time, with Joyce vs Aspinall and Clayton vs Price already confirmed.
The semi-finals follow on Saturday, October 3, before the champion is crowned in Sunday’s best-of-11-set final.
With Littler and Van Gerwen already out and several former champions still alive, the World Grand Prix is moving into its most dangerous phase with the draw wide open and very little margin for error.
