Luke Humphries struck an ideal leg to finish victory over Michael Smith on the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday, as six gamers – together with reigning champion Luke Littler – secured qualification from the group section in Wolverhampton.
2023 Grand Slam of Darts winner Humphries loved one other second to recollect on the WV Lively Aldersley stage to shut out a 5-3 win over Smith of their second Group A contest.
Humphries had completed 139 as he and Smith shared a cagey first six legs of their conflict, earlier than the world primary took out a clutch 80 end to maneuver 4-3 up.
He then opened the eighth leg with a 177 and adopted that with a 180 earlier than taking out 144 to finish his third nine-darter of 2025 to wrap up the triumph.
“It is the weirdest recreation of darts I have been concerned in,” admitted Humphries, who has received each of his opening video games on the Grand Slam.
“I did not really feel good and could not hit a treble. All of it felt like arduous work and I assumed the sport was gone.
“To then go on and hit a nine-darter, that is why darts is among the finest sports activities on the planet. It was fairly an unbelievable recreation to be a part of, and I am nonetheless flabbergasted from what simply occurred!”
While Humphries nonetheless wants three legs from his remaining group recreation in opposition to Nathan Aspinall to safe his development to Spherical Two, six different stars have already booked their place within the knockout phases.
Littler defied a 170 checkout from Connor Scutt as he took a 5-3 win from their Group E contest to safe his spot within the final 16.
The reigning Grand Slam champion has received each recreation he has performed within the match and hit 55% of his doubles in opposition to Scutt to keep up his excellent document in Wolverhampton.
“We have been each up for a great recreation,” mentioned Littler, who averaged 105 in his victory. “I can say now that I am by means of, calm down tomorrow and are available again Tuesday.
“It was higher than the primary recreation and hopefully I can play even higher going ahead. I am very comfortable that the strain is off going into the ultimate recreation.”
Ricky Evans hit an enormous 170 checkout as he secured his place within the knockout stage by edging previous Stefan Bellmont 5-4.
Evans might be joined in progressing from Group E by both Bellmont or three-time Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Value – who whitewashed James Wade in a end result which eliminates the 2025 UK Open and World Matchplay finalist.
Chris Dobey secured his place within the final 16 with a 5-1 thrashing of Damon Heta, while final 12 months’s crushed finalist Martin Lukeman can’t escape the group stage after struggling a 5-4 loss to Jurjen van der Velde.
Dutchman Danny Noppert additionally moved into the knockout section with a 5-4 overcome Cam Crabtree, who now takes on Lukas Wenig in a winner-progresses conflict after the German ended Jonny Clayton’s hopes with a 5-3 success.
German prospect Niko Springer can even compete in Spherical Two as he continued a memorable Wolverhampton debut with a 5-4 win over Michael van Gerwen.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Van Gerwen now faces a winner-takes-all conflict with Gary Anderson in Tuesday’s remaining Group G video games, after the Scottish ace edged out Beau Greaves to say a vital win.
A high-quality affair noticed each gamers common over 102, whereas the two-time World Champion defied a 100% checkout success charge from Greaves, who for the second consecutive recreation averaged over a ton however misplaced a last-leg decider.
“She’s going to trigger a lot bother subsequent 12 months on the ProTour,” mentioned Anderson. “I watched Beau the night time earlier than, she was hitting 140 after 140.
“After the subsequent 5 years, I do not assume you should have one individual dominating darts as a result of from these kids there are going to be so many good darts gamers.”
Fourth seed Stephen Bunting is one other high-profile identify to crash out within the group stage, with Luke Woodhouse securing development from Group C.
Bunting had misplaced 5-4 to Alexis Toylo on Saturday and went right down to Martin Schindler by the identical margin 24 hours later to see his Wolverhampton hopes ended.
Toylo this time went down 5-2 as Woodhouse progressed, however the Filipino ace now takes on Schindler on Monday for a spot within the final 16.
Gian van Veen averaged 107 in his 5-3 overcome Wessel Nijman, while Josh Rock whitewashed Lisa Ashton 5-0 – that means that three gamers can nonetheless qualify in Group F.
Karel Sedlacek missed ten match darts earlier than profitable 5-3 in opposition to Daryl Gurney to sentence the Northern Irishman to elimination in Group E, the place the Czechia star now faces off in opposition to Scutt for a Spherical Two place.
Aspinall, in the meantime, secured a vital 5-2 win over Alex Spellman to depart Group A large open going into their remaining group video games.
Monday will see the ultimate video games from Teams A-D happen, while Tuesday’s session will see Teams E-H attain their conclusion.
The 2025 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts might be broadcast stay on Sky Sports activities within the UK, by means of the PDC’s worldwide broadcast companions together with DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland primarily based subscribers).
Click on right here for match stats & outcomes.
Click on right here for methods to look at.
2025 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 9
Afternoon Session
Group Stage x8 – Teams B-D-F-H Second Matches
Jurjen van der Velde 5-4 Martin Lukeman (B)
Lukas Wenig 5-3 Jonny Clayton (H)
Josh Rock 5-0 Lisa Ashton (F)
Gerwyn Value 5-0 James Wade (D)
Ricky Evans 5-4 Stefan Bellmont (D)
Danny Noppert 5-4 Cam Crabtree (H)
Gian van Veen 5-3 Wessel Nijman (F)
Chris Dobey 5-1 Damon Heta (B)
Night Session
Group Stage x8 – Teams A-C-E-G Second Matches
Nathan Aspinall 5-2 Alex Spellman (A)
Karel Sedlacek 5-3 Daryl Gurney (E)
Martin Schindler 5-4 Stephen Bunting (C)
Gary Anderson 5-4 Beau Greaves (G)
Luke Littler 5-3 Connor Scutt (E)
Luke Humphries 5-3 Michael Smith (A) – Luke Humphries hits nine-dart end
Niko Springer 5-4 Michael van Gerwen (G)
Luke Woodhouse 5-2 Alexis Toylo (C)
Monday November 10 (1900 GMT)
Teams A-D Ultimate Matches
James Wade v Ricky Evans (D)
Chris Dobey v Martin Lukeman (B)
Stephen Bunting v Luke Woodhouse (C)
Martin Schindler v Alexis Toylo (C)
Damon Heta v Jurjen van der Velde (B)
Gerwyn Value v Stefan Bellmont (D)
Michael Smith v Alex Spellman (A)
Luke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall (A)
Tuesday November 11 (1900 GMT)
Teams E-H Ultimate Matches
Jonny Clayton v Danny Noppert (H)
Niko Springer v Beau Greaves (G)
Luke Littler v Daryl Gurney (E)
Lukas Wenig v Cam Crabtree (H)
Connor Scutt v Karel Sedlacek (E)
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson (G)
Wessel Nijman v Lisa Ashton (F)
Gian van Veen v Josh Rock (F)
