Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries will be looking for their second World Grand Prix titles when they meet in Sunday’s final at the double start event in Leicester.
Price, the 2020 champion, beat Nathan Aspinall 5-2 in Saturday’s first semi-final before 2023 winner Luke Humphries beat James Wade 5-3 to reach his fourth successive final and set up a repeat of the spectacular game three years ago – when he faced Price 5-2.
A major drought will end anyway at the Mattioli Arena, with Humphries more than a year away from his last premiership title – Premier League 2025 – and Price’s previous elite silverware returning in 2022 at the World Series of Darts Finals.
The final will be the best of six sets, with Humphries hoping to go one better than he did in 2024 and 2025, when he lost 6-4 to Mike De Decker and 6-1 to Luke Littler respectively.
Price prevails after being frustrated by Aspinall’s tricks
Price raced into a 3-0 lead over Aspinall, reeling off two 13-darts and then a 15-dart to sweep the opener before breaking Asp in the decider of the second set.
The third set went into shootout until the fourth game, when Aspinall missed six darts to hold, including two at double one, and Price then scored Draw 10 to move 3-0 up.
Things looked bleak for Aspinall when Price broke through on 14 darts at the start of the fourth set, only for The Asp to win back-to-back legs with well-struck D16 darts around the failed ones before pulling out a set with a stunning 132 finish with two bullseyes.
The 2022 runner-up then won the fifth set on a shootout, but Price did the same in the sixth to pull one clear and then broke Aspinall twice in straight sets in the seventh set after being broken himself.
Speaking afterwards, Price said he was annoyed by Aspinall complaining about the rowdy crowd, saying Sky Sports: “I was a bit upset with him, I told him “they are on your side, stupid, I am against it”.
“As good as the crowd is for me, everybody was for him. He’s performing a little bit on stage. I’m good friends with Nathan, but sometimes you have to let your darts go. It (affected my game).”
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Price said he had words with Aspinall on stage after becoming upset with his opponent’s reactions to the crowd.
Humphries in another Leicester final
Humphries later ended Wade’s hopes of a third World Grand Prix crown, and first since 2010, by winning the sixth set in a shootout after the first five had been taken 3-1 by the player who shot second.
Wade, who cashed in on 141 in the second set but mostly struggled to hit the mandatory opening leg double, took the next stanza but Humphries was not to be denied, firing back-to-back 137s to break The Machine in the eighth set around two shots.
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Humphries paid a nod to Wade after The Machine racked up a fantastic 141 during their semi-final
said Humphries Sky Sports: “I said I was going to play a lot better and I did – I felt a lot more relaxed.
“That was the real me out there today and I’m really proud of myself for performing like that. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that control and not like I’m going to falter a bit.
“To make four Grand Prix finals on the trot is super special. It’s history and I’m proud of it, but if I don’t get that trophy, unfortunately that history means nothing.”
Watch the World Grand Prix final between Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries live Sky Sports+ AND Sky Sports’ main event from 20:00 on Sunday. The latest Sky Sports offers OR broadcast with NOW.
Complete results from the World Grand Prix so far
First round (best of three groups)
Danny Noppert 2-1 Niko Springer
Ross Smith 2-1 Cameron Menzies
Chris Dobey 0-2 Jermaine Wattimena
Ryan Searle 2-1 William O’Connor
Josh Rock 1-2 Niels Zonneveld
James Wade 2-1 Joe Cullen
Gary Anderson 2-1 Damon Heta
Gian van Veen 2-0 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Luke Humphries 2-0 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 2-1 Andrew Gilding
Nathan Aspinall 2-1 Kevin Doets
Jonny Clayton 2-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
Gerwyn Price 2-0 Sebastian Bialecki
Michael van Gerwen 1-2 Ryan Joyce
Luke Littler 1-2 Luke Woodhouse
Wessel Nijman 2-0 Rob Cross
Second round (best of five groups)
Danny Noppert 0-3 Ryan Joyce
Jonny Clayton 3-1 Wessel Nijman
Gerwyn Price 3-0 Ross Smith
Luke Woodhouse 0-3 Nathan Aspinall
Niels Zonneveld 3-1 Gary Anderson
James Wade 3-1 Stephen Bunting
Luke Humphries 3-0 Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen 3-2 Ryan Searle
Quarterfinals (best of five sets)
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
Semi-finals (best of nine sets)
Nathan Aspinall 2-5 Gerwyn Price
James Wade 3-5 Luke Humphries