Preview World Grand Prix Tuesday night including Littler-Van Veen, Van Gerwen, Price and Rock

The Mattioli Arena in Leicester will host the World Grand Prix this week. This PDC major is known for its unique "double in-double out" format. This format always causes nerves among the players and therefore often brings surprises.

The field of participants at the World Grand Prix consists of 32 players. In addition to the top 16 of the world rankings, the sixteen best Pro Tour players also compete in this major tournament. Mike de Decker is the defending champion at the World Grand Prix after he defeated Luke Humphries in the 2024 final.
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Leading the lineup is world number one Humphries. New this year at the World Grand Prix is that the top-16 players in the world rankings are seeded at this tournament. In previous editions, this only applied to the top eight players.

Top players such as Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price are also among the seeded players and cannot meet until later in the tournament. They are paired with one of the players who qualified for this event via the Pro Tour in the first round.

In this article we give you a preview of the last eight matches from the first round scheduled for Tuesday night. Each will be played to best-of-3 sets.

Australian Damon Heta starts this tournament as a man in form. His solid season with multiple quarterfinals and an average consistently above 95 makes him a dangerous opponent for anyone. Still, he knows that the World Grand Prix does not always suit him well; the double-in format requires patience and precision, and that is not always Heta's strongest weapon. For example, the 38-year-old Australian has never made it past the opening round at this tournament.

Luke Woodhouse, on the other hand, is playing without pressure. The Englishman has quietly made a strong advance this year, thanks in part to a couple of surprising wins over big names. His quiet demeanor on the podium could come in handy here. If Woodhouse is right on target from the start, Heta could just be in trouble right away.

This duel is one between two darters who have both already won one or more majors. Ross Smith recently showed his good form by winning a Players Championship. Although he desperately needs another good performance at a major.

Daryl Gurney has shown signs of recovery in recent months. The Northern Irishman won the World Cup of Darts alongside Josh Rock and looks relaxed again. When his timing is right, he is still lethal. In the double-in format, his experience can be an important weapon; besides, Gurney already won this tournament once in 2017.

A meeting between two very seasoned players. Jonny Clayton is having a strong year, reaching the final at the Masters and the semifinals at the UK Open. Clayton is one of the most natural double-hitters on the circuit - a sizeable advantage at a tournament like this. He previously won this tournament in 2021 and dreams of another final victory.

Still, Gilding is no easy customer. His slow pace and unpredictable finishes can frustrate any opponent. Moreover, he has proven he can perform on big stages, with his surprise UK Open title as proof. If Gilding manages to get Clayton out of his rhythm, a shock is in the offing. But with the form of 'The Ferret' in recent months, a 2-0 win for the Welshman seems most likely.

An absolute cracker. Gerwyn Price and Ryan Searle have played several compelling duels in recent years. Both players keep a nice pace and are known for their high scoring ability.

Price has won the tournament before and knows exactly what it takes to perform in this unique format. Once he gets into rhythm, he is hard to stop. Searle - winner of a Players Championship just last week - has the weapons to hurt Price, however, but sometimes lacks that extra bit of killer instinct in decisive legs. When it comes to consistency and mentality. An exciting match announces itself, with Price still the favorite.

The clash of the evening! Luke Littler, the prodigy who rocked the darts world over the past year and a half, against Gian van Veen, the Dutch promise who is rocketing himself. The main question is how Littler will perform at this year's World Grand Prix. Last year turned to disappointment after a defeat in his opening match against Rob Cross.

Van Veen - who has proven before that he can match his English opponent in scoring - can be dangerous if he finds the doubles early. Expect fireworks, high averages and lots of emotion in what could be a very exciting match.

A purely Dutch titanic battle. Michael van Gerwen against Dirk van Duijvenbode - a spectacle that is always fraught. Van Gerwen already won the World Series of Darts Finals and the German Darts Grand Prix this year, but still yearns for a real major title such as the World Grand Prix - a tournament he has already managed to win six times, tentatively for the last time in 2022.

Van Duijvenbode is emotion itself, and that can work both to his advantage and disadvantage. When his game is running, he is one of the few who can overwhelm Van Gerwen. But when the doubles don't fall, frustration can set in.

For Peter Wright, this tournament is a chance to save his year. After all, the colorful Scot has had a difficult year, in which he once again changed equipment frequently but failed to deliver good performances. But it is still Peter Wright: once the right setup is found, he can still play world-class.

Mike De Decker, however, is no slouch. The Belgian starts this tournament as the defending champion and exudes determination to succeed himself. His average is consistently high and his composure on the doubles make him dangerous.

Two players who rarely give up. Josh Rock remains one of the circuit's greatest talents. His ability to produce 180s is downright terrifying. But the double-in format is tricky for him - he tends to want to start fast, which sometimes plays tricks on him.

Ryan Joyce, on the other hand, is a master of control. Rather, he plays slowly, methodically and waits patiently for mistakes. His style can be frustrating for a player like Rock, who likes to pace himself. This will be a contest of rhythm: if Rock finds the doubles quickly, he can outplay Joyce. If not, it could also tip the other way. Still, it seems Rock's scoring ability will be the deciding factor.