By Harry Eddolls
Finals day at the Grand Slam of Darts began with semi-final action this afternoon. Three champions were in the field, and the world number one spot was up for grabs during an action packed few hours in Wolverhampton.
SEMI FINAL 1: LUKE HUMPHRIES vs GERWYN PRICE
The first semi-final saw the 2023 champion Luke Humphries clash with three-time winner Gerwyn Price. The match began with a trade of holds, before Cool Hand found a run, winning the remaining three legs of the session to leave himself 4-1 up at the first break.
It looked as if the Englishman could be running away with the tie, as he found a 142 out in leg 6 to make it 5-1. Price roared back however. He won the rest of the legs in the session, which included a massive 151 out in leg ten, with Humphries left on 16, to draw the match level at 5-5 going into the second break.
The Iceman went from four legs down to one in front, when he took leg 11 to go ahead for the first time since the first leg. That began a run of four straight holds, which included a straight ton out from Price in leg 13. The run ended in the final leg of the session, as Humphries found a ton plus out of his own, this time a 104, to re-establish the lead, 8-7, at the third break.
The fourth session began with a trade of holds, before a trade of breaks, which included a Shanghai 120 out from Price in leg 18, saw Humphries hold a slender 10-9 lead. The final leg of the session was a very important one, and Cool Hand kept his cool on his throw, taking leg 20 to open up a two leg gap at 11-9.
Price came out well from the final break, holding with a 112 out before breaking to level the match once again. Humphries didn’t let this fester however, as he broke straight back to begin a run of three straight legs to leave himself 14-11 up and within two of the match.
The match was topsy turvy, and it carried on that way as The Iceman broke straight back before holding to reduce the deficit back to one. Cool Hand once again managed to stave off the Welshman though, holding in leg 28, before breaking to secure a 16-13 victory and send him into a third straight major final.
SEMI FINAL 2: LUKE LITTLER vs DANNY NOPPERT
The other semi-final involved the world champion Luke Littler, who was looking to become the youngest ever world number one by beating Dutchman Danny Noppert.
He didn’t make the best start to his mission, as Noppert broke straight away with a 120 out, before holding to establish an early 2-0 lead. That hold began a run of four straight holds in the session, which saw The Freeze go 3-2 up into the first break.
Littler came out from the break well, winning the next two legs, which included a 145 out in leg seven, to take the lead for the first time. Noppert quickly turned it back around however, as he won three legs on the spin to close out the session, and restore his advantage at 6-4.
Just as in the previous session, Littler won the first two legs, which levelled up the match. Then, Noppert came up with two of his own, including a 116 out in leg 14, to restore his two leg advantage. The final leg of the session saw The Nuke hold throw to stop any potential run from his opponent, and reduce the deficit to 8-7 going into the third break.
Littler came out of the break well, breaking with a 128 out before holding to once again regain the lead. As with the last time he had the lead, it only lasted one leg, as Noppert held to level the match again, but unlike previously, The Freeze couldn’t begin a run to put him back into the lead. Littler held before breaking to go into the final break with an 11-9 advantage.
From there, Noppert fell apart, and the world champion won five straight legs to get over the line to a 16-9 win. The win put him into yet another major final, and saw him take the world number one spot away from Luke Humphries, who he will face tonight for Grand Slam glory.