James Wade and Nathan Aspinall delivered outstanding performances in the World Grand Prix quarter‑finals, setting the pace for the highly anticipated semi‑final line‑up on Saturday. Aspinall posted a phenomenal 105.15 average to defeat Ryan Joyce 3‑0, registering the fourth‑highest mark in tournament history and the best ever recorded in a quarter‑final. Meanwhile, Wade dominated Gian van Veen, losing just a single leg en route to a 3‑0 victory, describing his performance as “bashing him up” in a match that lasted barely 20 minutes.
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James Wade felt Gian van Veen was ‘pretty poor’ in their World Grand Prix Darts quarter-final, so he ‘bashed him up’!
“That really was a performance to remember from Wade,” Sky Sports‘s Wayne Mardle said. “From start to finish, he was absolutely devastating. World Class.”
Three-time world champion John Part concurred with that assessment, saying: “James is not just looking like a great dart thrower to me, he’s looking like a winner.
“I really have a lot of faith in James managing the other players, and that’s what winners do. They see what they have to work with, and work against.
“At the start of the match, James saw his opponent struggling and put his foot down to get the job done.
“I think he’s a legitimate title contender here.”
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It’s not often you see both a fly and a spider grace the darts board on the same night, which is exactly what happened during the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix Darts.
Luke Humphries expresses disappointment despite securing semi‑final spot
James Wade will meet former world number one Luke Humphries in the semi‑finals, while Humphries produced a lacklustre 3‑0 win over debutant Niels Zonneveld.
His average of 85.91 matched that of his opponent, but Humphries’ decisive doubling sealed the victory, propelling the 2023 champion into the semi‑finals for the fourth consecutive year.
Luke Humphries won 3-0 in his quarter-final against Neils Zonneveld despite being ‘dissapointed’ with how he played
Despite that, Humphries told Sky Sports afterwards: “I’m really disappointed. I felt really good in practice, but I came out here tonight and it didn’t feel great to be honest.
“It kind of felt like I was the second-best player for the first two sets, but I got away with it.
“It’s one of those performances where you’re not thrilled, but I won 3-0.
“Hopefully tomorrow night is a lot better, because if it isn’t I won’t be here on Sunday.”
Humphries added on his semi-final opponent: “James [Wade] is a tough task in itself. He’s a tough player to play against.
“If I score the way I know I can, then it will be a tough night for James. If I don’t, it’s going to be a tough night for myself.”
Nathan Aspinall hails one of his career’s best performances
Nathan Aspinall will face Gerwyn Price in Saturday’s other semi-final after Price, nicknamed “The Iceman,” recovered from a two‑set deficit to defeat fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton, surviving three match darts before edging the contest.
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Gerwyn Price snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as compatriot Jonny Clayton missed three match darts in their quarter-final of the World Grand Prix Darts
Aspinall, however, is confident heading into a rematch of the 2022 semi‑final, where he previously secured a win before ultimately finishing as runner‑up to Michael van Gerwen.
His most recent major triumph was the 2023 World Matchplay, but Aspinall is eager to add another title this season.
“I feel like I can win this tournament, and I feel like I’m ready to win another major again. There’s no reason why I can’t,” Aspinall told Sky Sports after his stunning quarter‑final win over Joyce.
“I’m absolutely buzzing. I’ve been feeling relaxed all day, and I came out tonight feeling really focused. My start, finish and 180s were probably some of the best I’ve ever had on stage – maybe the best of my whole career.”
Friday’s quarter-final results
- Nathan Aspinall 3-0 Ryan Joyce
- Gerwyn Price 3-2 Jonny Clayton
- Gian van Veen 0-3 James Wade
- Luke Humphries 3-0 Niels Zonneveld
Saturday’s semi-final schedule
From 8pm; first to five sets
- Nathan Aspinall vs Gerwyn Price
- James Wade vs Luke Humphries
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