Day three at the BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix saw the first four quarter finalists confirmed, and 2023 Champion Luke Humphries negotiated the tricky test of Krzysztof Ratajski to make the last eight in a 3-1 second round success in Leicester.
Humphries’ starting doubling was particularly impressive early on, and he eventually found double one for a 2-0 lead. Ratajski battled back to halve his arrears, and kept Humphries honest, but ‘Cool Hand’ turned on the afterburners, with a 134 finish in set four putting him a leg away from the win. He sealed that win by finding a 108 checkout to clinch safe passage through to the quarter finals at Mattioli Arena.
Humphries will face Cameron Menzies on Friday evening, as the Muirkirk man saw off ninth seed Rob Cross in a 3-1 win.
Cross took advantage of some slack scoring from Menzies early in the first set, but the Scot dodged two set darts from ‘Voltage’ as he found double ten to take the lead. Menzies then kicked on as Cross faltered on his starting doubles, breezing to set two to double his advantage, but Cross opened set three with a 107 finish before having to survive five match darts from Menzies in a deciding leg, eventually finding double 16 to half his deficit. Menzies then kicked off set four with a 136 finish.
Danny Noppert piled in nine 180s to put himself into the last eight, with the Dutchman turning back the challenge of Stephen Bunting, coming through 3-1.
Noppert will next face Gary Anderson, who was seldom troubled by an off-colour Joe Cullen, and the Scot took a routine 3-0 win for the loss of just one leg.
The quarter final line-up will be completed on Thursday, with World Champion Luke Littler up against reigning Grand Prix Champion Mike De Decker in one of the standout ties.
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