The second round of the Boylesports World Grand Prix begin in Leicester on Wednesday night so here's Chris Hammer's match-by-match preview and best bets.
World Grand Prix: Wednesday October 8
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1800 GMT)
- Second-Round Format: Best of 5 sets. All sets are the best of five legs. 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 he can begin scoring in each leg.
SL Acca: 1pt Noppert (+1.5), Humphries and Cullen (+1.5) all to win at 4/1 with Sky Bet
Cameron Menzies (5/4) v Rob Cross (4/7)
- Seasonal Average
Menzies: 92.86
Cross: 96.81 - 180s per leg in 2025
Menzies: 0.31
Cross: 0.24 - Checkout % in 2025
Menzies: 38.5%
Cross: 41.28% - World GP Double In % Since 2020
Menzies: 50%
Cross: 41.47%
Cameron Menzies upset the odds against Chris Dobey to break his duck on the World Grand Prix stage and finds himself as underdog once again with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
The Scotsman played pretty solidly enough and was able to take advantage of Dobey's woeful doubling at the start and end of numerous legs to run out a 2-0 winner with an average of 84.
Rob Cross only managed an 82 average in a nail-biting clash with debutant Nijman and survived a match dart in the deciding leg to reach round two for the fourth time in nine attempts.
I sense another scrappy match if both players' performances are anything to go by and I'm not expecting many 180s either considering they only managed one between them on Monday night.
Over the longer format it does feel slightly less of a lottery than the opening round but Menzies is still well capable of pushing Voltage and it could well go the distance.
Scoreline prediction: 2-3
Stephen Bunting (4/9) v Danny Noppert (13/8)
- Seasonal Average
Bunting: 98.34
Noppert: 94.58 - 180s per leg in 2025
Bunting: 0.37
Noppert: 0.27 - Checkout % in 2025
Bunting: 39.32%
Noppert: 40.16% - World GP Double In % Since 2020
Bunting: 35.95%
Noppert: 39.26%
SELECTION: 1pt Danny Noppert to win and Stephen Bunting to hit most 180s at 7/2 (Ladbrokes)
Stephen Bunting underlined just why he's widely fancied to challenge for the title with one of the performances of the opening round on Monday night.
The Bullet, who has reached a whopping 10 tournament finals this season and won six of them, averaged an impressive 97.02 against Niko Springer and fired in five 180s across just eight legs during the 2-0 victory, but I feel he'll be put under much sterner pressure from Danny Noppert.
The Dutchman got off to a painfully slow start against Jermaine Wattimena as he lost the opening set 3-0 but after that he looked much sharper on his doubles and applied pressure on his countryman with heavy scoring as he clawed his way back into the match before clinching the deciding with an ice cool 158 checkout.
Noppert, whose strength of character helped him reached the World Masters semi-finals this season, can spring a surprise here although I'd still expect Bunting to hit most 180s as he boasts one of the highest maximum per leg rate on the circuit.
Scoreline prediction: 1-3
Luke Humphries (2/7) v Krzysztof Ratajski (5/2)
- Seasonal Average
Humphries: 98.80
Ratajski: 94.86 - 180s per leg in 2025
Humphries: 0.32
Ratajski: 0.18 - Checkout % in 2025
Humphries: 40.97%
Ratajski: 40.4% - World GP Double In % Since 2020
Humphries: 44.36%
Ratajski: 36.88%
Luke Humphries was a relieved man to battle past Nathan Aspinall 2-0 in the first round but it's fair to say the comfortable scoreline was in no small part down to his opponent gifting him the second set with a string of errors.
Cool Hand was pretty clinical with his doubling and also fired in a pair of 100+ checkouts, while you'd like to think his unusual weakness in the scoring phase of the game may have been down to cageyness that we often see in the opening round of this tournament.
Now we're into the slightly 'safer' best-of-five set format, Humphries should relax and find his rhythm a lot more so I expect Krzysztof Ratajski to be on the receiving end of a statement of intent.
The Polish Eagle, who has enjoyed a pretty decent season, produced an impressive 95.94 average during a 2-0 victory over Martin Schindler in which he only dropped one leg but I'm sure Humphries will put him under too much pressure to perform at those levels again.
Although Cool Hand didn't manage a single 180 last time compared to Ratajski's two, he's generally a lot more prolific when it comes to maximums and should complete the double.
Scoreline prediction: 3-1
Joe Cullen (5/2) v Gary Anderson (2/7)
- Seasonal Average
Cullen: 92.74
Anderson: 97.80 - 180s per leg in 2025
Cullen: 0.32
Anderson: 0.32 - Checkout % in 2025
Cullen: 36.63%
Anderson: 42.77% - World GP Double In % Since 2020
Cullen: 41.8%
Anderson: 40.54%
SELECTION: 1pt Joe Cullen to beat Gary Anderson at 5/2 (Sky Bet)
Gary Anderson survived a drama of a deciding leg to overcome old foe Raymond van Barneveld in a match that made more headlines for the lack of a post-match handshake.
The Flying Scotsman averaged a creditable 90.06 and was particularly sharp on his finishing doubles as he ended up with a 53.8% checkout percentage.
Joe Cullen was equally as impressive on that front during his surprisingly comfortable 2-0 triumph over James Wade although his scoring needs to improve to ensure he applies maximum pressure on Anderson.
The Rockstar is the first to admit how inconsistent he can be, especially this season, but the fact he's reached three finals and won two of them - including a Players Championship event last month - proves he can still cut it with anyone.
Anderson can look vulnerable these days, particularly on the big stages, and Cullen could well spring a surprise.
Scoreline prediction: 3-1
2025 World Grand Prix Draw & Results
ROUND TWO
- (1) Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski
- Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross (9)
- (4) Stephen Bunting v Danny Noppert (13)
- Joe Cullen v Gary Anderson (12)
- (2) Luke Littler v Mike De Decker
- (7) Gerwyn Price v Josh Rock (10)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Daryl Gurney
- (6) Jonny Clayton v Luke Woodhouse
ROUND ONE
- (1) Luke Humphries 2-0 Nathan Aspinall
- (16) Martin Schindler 0-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
- (8) Chris Dobey 0-2 Cameron Menzies
- (9) Rob Cross 2-1 Wessel Nijman
- (4) Stephen Bunting 2-0 Niko Springer
- (13) Danny Noppert 2-1 Jermaine Wattimena
- (5) James Wade 0-2 Joe Cullen
- (12) Gary Anderson 2-1 Raymond van Barneveld
- (2) Luke Littler 2-0 Gian van Veen
- (15) Peter Wright 1-2 Mike De Decker
- (7) Gerwyn Price 2-1 Ryan Searle
- (10) Josh Rock 2-1 Ryan Joyce
- (3) Michael van Gerwen 0-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- (14) Ross Smith 0-2 Daryl Gurney
- (6) Jonny Clayton 2-0 Andrew Gilding
- (11) Damon Heta 1-2 Luke Woodhouse
2025 World Grand Prix Schedule
Monday October 6 (1800 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of 3 sets)
- Rob Cross 2-1 Wessel Nijman
- Martin Schindler 0-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
- Chris Dobey 0-2 Cameron Menzies
- James Wade 0-2 Joe Cullen
- Danny Noppert 2-1 Jermaine Wattimena
- Luke Humphries 2-0 Nathan Aspinall
- Gary Anderson 2-1 Raymond van Barneveld
- Stephen Bunting 2-0 Niko Springer
Tuesday October 7 (1800 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
First Round (Best of 3 sets)
- Damon Heta 1-2 Luke Woodhouse
- Ross Smith 0-2 Daryl Gurney
- Jonny Clayton 2-0 Andrew Gilding
- Gerwyn Price 2-1 Ryan Searle
- Luke Littler 2-0 Gian van Veen
- Michael van Gerwen 0-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Peter Wright 1-2 Mike De Decker
- Josh Rock 2-1 Ryan Joyce
Wednesday October 8 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Second Round matches (Best of 5 sets)
- Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross
- Stephen Bunting v Danny Noppert
- Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski
- Gary Anderson v Joe Cullen
Thursday October 9 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Second Round matches (Best of 5 sets)
- Four matches
Friday October 10 (1900 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Quarter-Finals (Best of seven sets)
- Four matches
Saturday October 11 (2030 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Semi-Finals (Best of seven sets)
- Two matches
Sunday October 13 (2000 BST)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Final (Best of nine sets)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
What TV channel is the World Grand Prix on?
The World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
World Grand Prix Prize Money
- Winner - £120,000
- Runner-up - £60,000
- Semi-finalists - £40,000
- Quarter-finalists - £25,000
- Second round - £15,000
- First round - £7,500
Tournament Format
- All Sets are the best of five legs. 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 he can begin scoring in each leg.
- First Round - Best of three sets
- Second Round - Best of five sets
- Quarter-Finals - Best of five sets
- Semi-Finals - Best of seven sets
- Final - Best of nine sets
World Grand Prix History
- Final scores in sets
- 1998 - Phil Taylor 13-8 Rod Harrington
- 1999 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
- 2000 - Phil Taylor 6-1 Shayne Burgess
- 2001 - Alan Warriner 8-2 Roland Scholten
- 2002 - Phil Taylor 7-3 John Part
- 2003 - Phil Taylor 7-2 John Part
- 2004 - Colin Lloyd 7-3 Alan Warriner
- 2005 - Phil Taylor 7-1 Colin Lloyd
- 2006 - Phil Taylor 7-4 Terry Jenkins
- 2007 - James Wade 6-3 Terry Jenkins
- 2008 - Phil Taylor 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld
- 2009 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
- 2010 - James Wade 6-3 Adrian Lewis
- 2011 - Phil Taylor 6-3 Brendan Dolan
- 2012 - Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Mervyn King
- 2013 - Phil Taylor 6-0 Dave Chisnall
- 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 5-3 James Wade
- 2015 - Robert Thornton 5-4 Michael van Gerwen
- 2016 - Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Gary Anderson
- 2017 - Daryl Gurney 5-4 Simon Whitlock
- 2018 - Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Peter Wright
- 2019 - Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dave Chisnall
- 2020 - Gerwyn Price 5-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
- 2021 - Jonny Clayton 5-1 Gerwyn Price
- 2022 - Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Nathan Aspinall
- 2023 - Luke Humphries 5-2 Gerwyn Price
- 2024 - Mike de Decker 6-4 Luke Humphries
World Grand Prix Most Titles
- Phil Taylor - 11
- Michael van Gerwen - 6
- James Wade - 2
- Mike de Decker - 1
- Luke Humphries - 1
- Jonny Clayton - 1
- Gerwyn Price - 1
- Daryl Gurney - 1
- Colin Lloyd - 1
- Alan Warriner - 1
- Robert Thornton - 1
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