Schedule Saturday evening at Grand Slam of Darts 2024 including Humphries, Littler and Van Gerwen

The 2024 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts begins this weekend, with Luke Humphries back in action as he looks to defend the title he won in Wolverhampton last year. Of course, this was his second major title and was the final stepping stone before he went to London last Christmas, to become the World Champion for the very first time. There’s 9 days of darts ahead, from November 9th to the 17th, and we’ll be taking a look in this article at the match ups in Saturday’s evening session.

Just like last year, Humphries will be hoping to win this title before going off to defend his World Championship at Alexandra Palace starting next month. Yes, he’s the number 1 ranking in the PDC Order of Merit, with a big gap to Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen beneath him, but he’s got his hands full if he wants to win the Grand Slam of Darts for the second time.

Last month at the World Grand Prix, underdog Mike De Decker pulled off an incredible upset in an epic final against Humphries. De Decker is also in action at Wolverhampton’s WV Active Aldersley, and he’ll be joined in Saturday’s evening session by the teenage sensation Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, and Michael Smith.

Let’s take a look at the first round matchups that take place in Saturday’s evening session.

Kicking off the action for the evening session is three time Grand Slam runner up James Wade, who takes on Mickey Mansell in his opening contest. Wade's career boasts an impressive eleven major PDC titles, making him third in the all-time list behind legends Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. These victories include prestigious tournaments such as the UK Open, World Grand Prix, and The Masters. His consistency over the years has cemented his reputation as one of the top names on the tour. Mansell has struggled to make deep runs in major tournaments over the years, and it's unlikely that this will change now, and so Wade is expected to start his campaign with a relatively straightforward victory.

Defending champion Humphries kicks off his campaign in the other Group A match on Saturday evening against Rowby-John Rodriguez. Cool Hand should ease through this group, and Rowby-John Rodriguez should not cause him too many problems. Rodriguez qualified for the next week in Wolverhampton by reaching the final of the 2024 World Cup of Darts. Rodriguez and his Austria teammate Mensur Suljović were the runners-up, reaching the final where they lost to England.

World number 2 Michael Smith is the big name in Group E, and the 2023 World Champion won the Grand Slam of Darts 2 years ago. Could he pick up his first PDC Major since his world championship win? It will be a tough ask, but its certainly not out of the question.

Smith gets his tournament underway against Mensur Suljovic, the man who joined Rowby-John Rodriguez for Austria in the World Cup of Darts. The 52 year old, known as ‘The Gentle,’ is ranked 57th by the PDC, but should not be taken lightly. Suljovic and Smith have rarely played, but when they have, they have been very close contests. In fact, Suljovic won 6-5 the last time he faced Smith, and the Austrian has won 3 of his last 5 encounters with Bully Boy. Smith will certainly not want to let this happen again.

The other match up in Group E sees the new big name in darts, Mike De Decker, take on Jermaine Wattimena. The recent World Grand Prix brought a wave of surprises, none bigger than Mike De Decker's unexpected triumph as he secured his first major PDC title by overcoming World Champion Luke Humphries in an electrifying final. De Decker demonstrated exceptional composure under pressure, managing to fend off Humphries' comeback and announcing himself as a serious contender.

De Decker will be hoping to solidify his status as a top player, and prove that his performance last month was no fluke. But he’s got a serious challenge on his hands against Jermaine Wattimena, who also handed a shock loss to Humphries last month. Wattimena ensured that the European Darts Championship may go down in the books as the craziest major tournaments in PDC history. 'The Machine Gun' caused a huge surprise in the last 8 of that tournament by beating world champion Luke Humphries 10-4, to hand Cool Hand his second upset loss in the space of a few weeks.

Wattimena, who is known as The Machine Gun due to his rapid playing style, is ranked a solid 37th in the PDC Order of Merit. Although he hasn't clinched a major title, Wattimena is known for his fierce competitiveness and ability to cause upsets. His shock victory over Luke Humphries at the European Darts Championship exemplified his potential to challenge top-ranked players. Wattimena’s playing style and scoring ability make him a dangerous opponent who can disrupt even the most composed rivals, and De Decker will have to be on his A game on Saturday.

First up in Group F is Dimitri Van den Bergh who takes on Lourence Ilagan. Van de Bergh, who won the UK Open earlier, will be a big favourite here against his opponent from the Phillippines. However, his opponent, Lourence Ilagan from the Philippines, is not to be underestimated. Ilagan recently secured the title at the third edition of the PDC Asian Championship, marking his first victory in this tournament despite already having 11 Asian Tour titles to his name. This win came with a top prize of $15,000 and earned him a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts. Ilagan’s experience and confidence gained from his recent success make him a potential challenge, ensuring that this match is set to be an intriguing showdown.

But the big name in Group F is Luke Littler, and the 17 year old will be looking for a much better first round than the World Grand Prix, where he was knocked out by Rob Cross. Littler has had an epic 12 months, and at 17 years old is already one of the very best. His first round contest will see him take on Keane Barry, who Littler has beaten on both of the two other times they’ve played.

There’s two massive names in Group G, coming in the form of Gary Anderson, and Michael van Gerwen himself. The Flying Scotsman is a two-time World Champion (2015, 2016) and boasts numerous other major titles, including the Premier League and UK Open. Despite facing ups and downs in recent years, Anderson's has certainly showed some promising form throughout 2024, and currently sits in the top 20. Whilst Michael van Gerwen is of course one of the most dominant figures in darts history, the three time World Champion has had a difficult 2024, including possibly his worst ever defeat a month ago at the World Grand Prix. He will certainly be hoping for better results over the next 9 days, and he’s certainly capable.

Anderson gets his Grand Slam underway against Ryan Joyce, who is ranked 35th by the PDC. The two have only played against each other 4 times, and Joyce has handled himself very well, with the score honours even at 2-2. But, Anderson will be the overwhelming favourite to get the job done, as he looks to move on to bigger names next week.

The other Group G match sees MvG take on Noa-Lynn van Leuven in an historic match for a number of reasons. The match up marks a historic moment as Noa-Lynn van Leuven becomes the first trans player to compete in a televised PDC tournament against men. The 28-year-old Dutch darter qualified through the PDC Women's Series, showcasing her talent amidst a backdrop of debate about gender inclusivity in the sport. Despite dissenting opinions from notable figures like Deta Hedman and Aileen De Graaf, PDC chief executive Matt Porter has reaffirmed the fairness and inclusivity of the current regulations. Van Leuven’s participation symbolises progress and sparks discussions about representation and equity within professional darts, and her match up with van Gerwen will not be one to miss.

James Wade v Mickey Mansell (A)

Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce (G)

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Lourence Ilagan (F)

Michael Smith v Mensur Suljovic (E)

Michael van Gerwen v Noa-Lynn van Leuven (G)

Luke Littler v Keane Barry (F)

Luke Humphries v Rowby-John Rodriguez (A)

Mike De Decker v Jermaine Wattimena (E)