Humphries sweeps past Wattimena as World Grand Prix quarter-finals take shape

Luke Humphries advanced to the World Grand Prix quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over Jermaine Wattimena in Leicester on Thursday, joining James Wade, Gian van Veen and Niels Zonneveld in the last eight. BBC Sport reported that the world number two hit three maximums and produced a highest checkout of 129 as he won without dropping a set.

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Humphries is pursuing another title at an event he won in 2023, having finished runner-up to Luke Littler last year. Littler has already been eliminated from this edition. Speaking to Sky Sports, in comments carried by the BBC, Humphries described his display as good rather than his best and pointed to his effectiveness in getting legs started. He acknowledged inconsistency in his recent play but expressed confidence in his prospects if he could address it.

Next for Humphries is Zonneveld, who defeated Gary Anderson 3-1 to secure his quarter-final place. The Dutchman had beaten Josh Rock 2-1 in the opening round, while Humphries began his campaign with a 2-0 win over Dave Chisnall. Their meeting is one of four quarter-finals scheduled for Friday, 2 October, with the order of play still to be confirmed in the BBC's published schedule.

Wade maintained his bid for a third World Grand Prix crown by beating Stephen Bunting 3-1. The champion in 2007 and 2010 won the opening two sets before Bunting took the third. Wade then secured the fourth to complete the victory. The tournament requires players to begin and end each leg on a double, making its format distinct from events that only require a double to finish.

Van Veen will face Wade after coming through the night's deciding-set contest against Ryan Searle. He took the first set, fell 2-1 behind and then won the final two for a 3-2 success. Van Veen was also the player beaten by Littler in January's PDC World Championship final. According to the BBC, he could rise to world number two unless Humphries wins this tournament.

The other quarter-finals will pit Nathan Aspinall against Ryan Joyce and Gerwyn Price against Jonny Clayton. Those four players advanced on Wednesday. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, 3 October, with the final on Sunday, 4 October.