Night Three of the World Grand Prix at The Mattioli Arena in Leicester didn’t disappoint. There proved to be all sorts of twists and turns as players battled first to three sets, to clinch a spot in the quarter final stage.
Night 3: Match 1 – Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross
Night three was kicked off by Cameron Menzies taking on the Voltage Rob Cross. The first set started with the Scotsman coming out the blocks fast hitting a 180 in the first leg to break throw. However, the 2018 World Champion would fight back, taking the next two legs and missing two set darts, which Menzies took full advantage of, as he won the next two legs to claim the set.
The next set started the same, as Menzies comfortably won the next three legs. The Scotsman went on to bag five consecutive legs and the second set with total comfort, Menzies nailed two 180s whilst Cross struggled to get off the mark within the unique doubles format.
Cross would break the curse by hitting a lovely 107 checkout to win the first leg. This didn’t seem to faze Menzies as he replied with a 180 and held throw to go level in the set. Both players would go on to hold their throw in the next two legs, to take it into another set decider, which saw doubling drama. Menzies would then miss five match darts, which Cross took full advantage of, beautifully sneaking a dart into double sixteen to pinch the set
Menzies would regain his composure to win the first leg which Cross would match. Menzies found himself back in front in the set, after blowing seven unpunished darts at a double. Despite the Voltage taking the set to a third and fifth set decider for the match, Menzies would scrape over the line after missing another three match darts, before finding double four with his last dart in hand to go into his second quarter final in a major PDC event (3-1).
Night 3: Match 2 – Steven Bunting v Danny Noppert
Danny Noppert faced fan favourite The Bullet Steven Bunting in the next match, as both players refused to back down on their throw, each holding twice to make it two legs apiece and force a fifth-leg decider, despite Noppert missing a dart to win the set in leg four. The Freeze corrected his mistake in the fifth leg, finishing ice-cold on double sixteen to go one set up.
Despite The Bullet showing flashes of his best form in the first leg of the second set, the Dutchman’s relentless 180 hitting saw him go level in the set and miss darts to move ahead. Noppert, however, regained his usual composure and fought back to win two consecutive legs and move two sets up.
Bunting again started fast, comfortably going two legs up in the third set, then maintaining his pace to break the throw of The Freeze and hit double eight to win his first set of the match.
Noppert was gifted a break of throw in the opening leg of the fourth set, as the 2024 Masters champion failed to hit three darts at double, allowing Noppert to punish. The Bullet’s doubling nightmare continued as he failed to start the leg after six attempts at a double, gifting Noppert another leg and leaving him one away from the quarter-final.
Bunting showed signs of a fightback, winning the next two legs and hitting an unbelievable 125 checkout to take it to the final leg of the set, but Noppert’s scoring proved too much. He hit his ninth 180 and checked out 100 to win the match 3–1.
Night 3: Match 3 – Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski
Despite Ratajski’s good performance in Round 1, he would have to be even better to beat the world number one — and that proved difficult from the start. The Polish Eagle’s six missed darts at double in the opening leg gave Humphries time to take it. Two more misses to level the set proved costly, as Cool Hand punished with a 54 checkout before breezing through the next leg to win the set.
Ratajski broke the hoodoo and won the first leg of set two, after Humphries missed three darts at double. Despite Humphries leveling, the Polish Eagle showed signs of resurgence, checking out 74 to go ahead once again. The 2024 World Champion, however, pushed it to a fifth leg and punished with a scrappy double-one finish, after Ratajski missed an all-important six dart series to win the set.
Humphries took the first leg of the third set with ease, hitting his first 180 of the tournament. The Polish Eagle refused to give up, maintaining composure and steady scoring to go 2–1 up in the set. Ratajski remained unfazed by another Humphries 180, pinning double seven to win his first set of the match.
After narrowly missing a 148 finish in the previous set, Humphries dazzled the crowd with his first 100+ checkout of the night — a superb 134 — as he raced through two consecutive legs to go one away from the quarter-final. Ratajski again refused to go down without a fight, winning the next leg under pressure, but the power of Luke Humphries proved too much in the end as he checked out 104 to win in spectacular fashion and book a quarter-final clash with Cameron Menzies. (3-1).
Night 3: Match 4 – Gary Anderson v Joe Cullen
Gary Anderson capitalised on Joe Cullen’s slow start, blitzing through the first three legs without breaking a sweat, as The Rockstar missed a total of ten darts at double in the opening set.
Cullen’s doubling struggles continued in the second set, gifting The Flying Scotsman the opening leg after seven missed darts at double. The nightmare carried on as Anderson punished more misses to go level in the set, before winning his sixth consecutive leg to breeze through yet another set, putting the 2016 World Champion two sets ahead.
In what looked like a spectacular leg from The Rockstar, Cullen narrowly missed a 148 checkout but scraped through his first leg by pinning double three with his last dart in hand. Anderson soon rediscovered his rhythm, winning two consecutive legs and breaking Cullen’s throw to move within one leg of the match.
Cullen threatened a late fightback, falling just short of a champagne 132 checkout in the final leg of the set, which left Anderson to polish off a double-ten finish to put Cullen out of his misery and book his place in a mouth-watering quarter-final on Friday against The Freeze Danny Noppert.
EDITORS PICKS:
- “Greatest Grand Prix Match Ever” – 5 Biggest Moments from Grand Prix Round 1
- “Luke Littler Out Early” – 5 Bold Predictions for the World Grand Prix 2025
- World Grand Prix: Night 1 – Luke Humphries off the mark with Round 1 win in Leicester
- World Darts Grand Prix 2025: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries Lead the Charge in Leicester
- World Grand Slam: Night 2 – ‘Iceman’ Price and Luke Littler make marks with solid victories