Under the bright lights of Leicester’s Mattioli Arena, the air thick with anticipation and the faint scent of chalk dust, the 2025 BoyleSports World Grand Prix enters its most electrifying phase yet. This iconic PDC major, the only tournament on the calendar enforcing the nerve-shredding “double-in, double-out” format, has already delivered jaw-dropping moments in its opening rounds—from blistering averages to gut-wrenching misses at the start. Now, on Thursday evening, the second-round action promises to crank up the drama, with four blockbuster ties headlining a night that could reshape the path to Sunday’s £120,000 showdown. As the clock ticks toward 7pm BST, fans worldwide are glued to their screens, wondering if teenage phenom Luke Littler can storm the citadel or if grizzled veterans like Gerwyn Price will remind everyone why experience trumps youth in this unforgiving double-start gauntlet.
The World Grand Prix, celebrating its 28th edition from October 6 to 12, isn’t just another stop on the PDC’s grueling calendar—it’s a pressure cooker where precision meets psychology. Every leg demands a double to commence and conclude, turning routine checkouts into high-wire acts and rewarding those with ice in their veins. The £600,000 prize pot dangles like a tantalizing treble-20, with 50,000 ranking points for the victor fueling the race to the lucrative World Championship later this year. Top seed and world No. 1 Luke Humphries, fresh off a commanding first-round demolition of Nathan Aspinall, looms large in the opposite half of the draw, but Thursday’s quartet of matches—broadcast live on Sky Sports—steals the spotlight, pitting former champions against hungry challengers in what could be the tournament’s defining hour.
Kicking off the evening at 7pm is a Dutch duel for the ages: Dirk van Duijvenbode versus Daryl Gurney. Van Duijvenbode, the 11th seed, arrived with a bang, stunning three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 2-0 in a first-round masterclass that averaged over 95 and featured a ruthless 121 checkout. The 33-year-old from Den Haag, known for his metronomic scoring and unflappable demeanor, has been knocking on the door of major glory all season, reaching European Tour finals and climbing into the top 10. “I’ve been waiting for a breakthrough like that—now it’s about keeping the momentum,” van Duijvenbode said post-match, his eyes gleaming with quiet fire. Standing in his way is Gurney, the 2017 World Grand Prix kingpin, who whitewashed 14th seed Ross Smith 2-0 with clinical efficiency, hitting 40% of his doubles en route to a 92 average. The Northern Irishman, ever the strategist with his pinpoint 180s, reflected on his resurgence: “This format suits me—it’s all about patience, and I’ve got plenty left in the tank.” Their clash evokes memories of Gurney’s glory days, but van Duijvenbode’s form tips the scales toward a potential upset, setting up a quarter-final against the winner of Jonny Clayton and Luke Woodhouse.
Speaking of Clayton, the 2021 champion awaits in the subsequent match, where he’ll face an unlikely hero in Woodhouse. Clayton, seeded sixth, breezed past Andrew Gilding 2-0, his silky-smooth rhythm—capped by a 112 finish—recalling the Welsh wizardry that netted him the title four years ago. Yet, Woodhouse enters as the tournament’s comeback king, snatching a 2-1 victory over Damon Heta in a decider where he missed seven starting doubles before reeling off two maximums and a cool 90 checkout. The unheralded Englishman, ranked outside the top 50, embodies the Grand Prix’s magic for underdogs. “I thought it was over, but that’s darts—you fight till the last dart,” Woodhouse admitted, his grin masking the exhaustion. Clayton, though, holds the edge with his 45% doubles conversion this year, promising a tactical tussle that could expose Woodhouse’s inexperience under the arena’s roar.
But the true marquee matchup, the one sending shivers through the darts world, unfolds next: Luke Littler versus defending champion Mike De Decker. Littler, the 18-year-old reigning PDC World Champion, exorcised last year’s first-round demons with a stunning 2-0 rout of record-breaking debutant Gian van Veen. The prodigy from Warrington unleashed finishes of 151 and 144, averaging 98.45 in a display that commentator Stuart Pyke hailed as “one of the best performances ever in the World Grand Prix.” Littler’s blistering pace—14-dart legs and unerring accuracy—has him pegged as the 7/4 outright favorite, eyeing his fourth major of 2025 to close the gap on Humphries in the world No. 1 race. “I’m here to win it all this time—no more early exits,” Littler declared, his boyish confidence belying the killer instinct that’s earned him over £1 million in prize money already this year.
Opposing him is De Decker, the Belgian sensation who shocked the sport by dethroning Humphries 6-4 in last year’s final for his maiden PDC major. The second seed survived a scare against Peter Wright, rallying from a set down with a jaw-dropping 152 checkout that drew applause even from his Scottish rival. At 29, De Decker’s smooth throwing action and mental steel make him a double-defender in waiting—only Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld have retained this crown in its storied history. “Beating Wright was tough, but Littler’s the real test—I’ve got to match his fire,” De Decker noted, acknowledging their lopsided head-to-head where the teenager leads 3-0. This collision of eras could be seismic: Littler’s explosive youth versus De Decker’s proven poise, with the winner advancing to face either Price or Rock in a potential quarter-final inferno.
Rounding out the night is that very showdown: Gerwyn Price against Josh Rock. Price, the seventh seed and 2020 champion, clawed back from a whitewashed first set to edge Ryan Searle 2-1, his ice-cool 104 finish in the decider underscoring why the Welshman remains a top-10 mainstay despite a rollercoaster season. “I started slow, but that’s the beauty of sets—you get chances to reset,” Price said, his competitive snarl returning after recent inconsistencies. Rock, the 10th seed from Northern Ireland, notched his first-ever World Grand Prix win, avenging last year’s defeat to Searle with a clutch 108 checkout in a last-leg thriller against Ryan Joyce. The 24-year-old’s explosive scoring—averaging 104 in Blackpool semis earlier this year—has him dreaming big, fresh off a Players Championship triumph. “Finally off the mark here—now it’s about building on it against a legend like Price,” Rock beamed, his raw power a stark contrast to Price’s tactical nous.
As these warriors converge under the arena’s gaze, the broader narrative pulses with intrigue. Humphries, after dismantling Aspinall 2-0, eyes revenge on the champion who denied him glory last October, while upsets like van Duijvenbode’s van Gerwen shock and Cameron Menzies’ upset over Chris Dobey add layers of unpredictability. The seeded top 16—expanded this year for deeper competition—ensures no easy paths, and with nine-darters lurking (Brendan Dolan holds the double-start record), Thursday could birth legends or shatter dreams. For Littler, it’s validation of his meteoric rise; for De Decker, a shot at immortality; for Price and Rock, a proving ground in the pressure cooker.
In Leicester’s electric embrace, where every double hit feels like destiny, the World Grand Prix reminds us why darts captivates: it’s not just about the throws, but the stories they tell. Tune in at 7pm—the oche awaits, and the echoes of glory are just beginning to resonate.
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