Grand Slam of Darts Round-Up | Humphries and Smith pip Aspinall to knockout stage while Price and Schindler prevail to progress

Luke Humphries and Michael Smith came out victorious as they made it out of Group A, with Nathan Aspinall the loser in a very competitive group in the Grand Slam of Darts.

Humphries needed just one leg to seal his spot in the top two, and he did it in the first leg with a superb 10 darter – continuing from his nine-darter against Smith. He followed that with a 129 checkout on double 12 for a 12-darter. This meant that Aspinall needed to win five consecutive legs to make it out of the group. He clinched one leg, but his faint hopes were dashed after Humphries pinned double eight to go 3-1 ahead. The world number one was averaging over 126 at this point.

Despite his Grand Slam all-but over, Aspinall was still hoping to retrieve some pride by winning the match. He got back to 3-2 before missing two darts to break the throw and level at 3-3. Cool Hand Luke went 4-2 ahead on double 6 before The Asp found the same target to prolong this tie. It would all be in vain with the Humphries securing the win, a damaging result for Aspinall, ending his Grand Slam hopes.

Before this, Smith defeated Alex Spellman to boost his chances of advancing. Three breaks of throw commenced the match. Smith looked like he had the advantage but was instantly pegged back by The Jackal after the 2022 champion missed doubles to extend his lead. Bully Boy would restore his break advantage. His throw was once more under threat after Spellman left double 12 to make it 3-3 but fluffed his lines. Smith pinned tops the first time of asking to put himself one away. He confidently took out 96 in two darts to grab the win he needed to keep his hopes alive.

Gerwyn Price sealed top spot in Group D after a rampant 5-1 victory over Stefan Bellmont in a winner takes all clash. It could have been a different match if the Swiss number one took his chances in the first and third leg on throw. He missed on the outer ring and was punished by Price who was clinical on the doubles. The only time he could not find the target was for a ton+ finish. A 128 and 144 outshot was one dart from completion, with a dart wiring double 12 for a 141 checkout a match dart missed. Bellmont pinned double eight to prolong the inevitable. The Welshman finished the match averaging over a ton.

On the sixth attempt, Martin Schindler has made it out of the group phase after defeating Alexis Toylo 5-2. Whoever won the match would go through, with the other being sent home. The Wall became close acquaintances with double 10, finding it three times to go 3-1 ahead. A 100 checkout for an 11-darter put Schindler within touching distance of the last-16. He repeated the outshot two legs later to seal second in Group C and a spot in the knockout stage.

While Schindler made it through, Damon Heta was not so fortunate after losing 5-3 to Jurjen van der Velde. It was a very nervy start to a hugely important clash, with 16 darts being missed in the first leg alone. The young Dutchman got over the line to begin seven consecutive holds of throw. This was troubling news for the Aussie who needed a break to win. He missed a brace of doubles to go 3-2 up with van der Velde showing him how it is done on double eight. A showstopping 108 checkout from the 22-year-old moved him 4-3 ahead of his opponent. The two-time quarter-finalist had the chance to force a last-leg decider but once more missed two doubles on the outer ring. He was not afforded another chance. Van der Velde kept his composure and dumped The Heat out, progressing on debut into the last-16 in the process.

James Wade ended his Grand Slam campaign with a 5-2 triumph over Ricky Evans. Wade was averaging over 108 in the early stages, and he was rewarded with a break of throw to go 3-1 ahead. Evans missed a darts at top just before this, ruthlessly being punished. He was not able to recover from this setback, and The Machine clinched his first victory of this year’s event. This defeat means Evans finishes second in Group B in a successful return to Wolverhampton.

The same could not be said for Stephen Bunting who once more squandered a chance to win the match in a 5-4 defeat to Luke Woodhouse. In the entire tournament, Woodhouse had missed only four darts on the outer ring. He matched that tally in the first leg with Bunting instantly clinching a break. He replied by putting the match back on throw before two more legs saw him go 3-1 up. The Bullet’s conversion rate on the outer ring helped him get back into the match ahead of a tense last-leg decider. Bunting almost won it with a 156 but could not find the double 18 segment. Woodhouse finished the job on double two, and tops Group C while Bunting sits bottom.

Chris Dobey comfortably defeated last year’s finalist Martin Lukeman 5-1. While it was not a high-quality match by any means, Dobey was good enough to get through it and confirm top spot in Group B with relative ease.