Ryan Searle created a showdown with world champion Luke Littler and Mike De Decker Booked a Reunion with the World No. 1 Luke Humphries during the day one of the Lecot Belgian darts open.
Searle opened his challenge with a resounding 6-2 win against Darryl Pilgrim and reserved another round meeting with the defending champion Littler – who won on his debut last year – on Saturday night.
Home favorite de Decker overcomes a big scare against Thomas Lovely in the October Hall, where he survived two Kampdart as 5-4 down before coming through a final decision.
The 29-year-old will now go head-to-head on the big stage with Humphries for the first time since they cracked him to demand a TV title in October Boylsports World Grand Prix.
“This crowd has been astonishing for the past four years and I am so glad I could get through for them tonight,” they reflected the decker. “I just wanted to play well.
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Highlights in the World Grand Prix 2024 between Luke Humphries and Mike de Decker
“I played really well behind the stage, but I’m still trying to find confidence in my setup. Tomorrow I might ask Luke if we can play double-in double-out, because then I know I can win!”
Daryl Gurney was Friday’s prominent artist, an average of 106 and landed a stag of ton-plus finish to send the Thibault Tricole 6-1 and secure another round of clashes against Danny Nopst.
The Dutch Duo Dirk van Duijvenbode and Gian van Veen also celebrated comeback victories and overturned 4-1 deficits against Darius Labannauskas and James Hurrell respectively.
Michael Smith was among the other high-profile winners in the first round and converted a sensational 125-finish on the bull on the way to a 6-5 success against a persistent Ryan Joyce, while Raymond van Barneveld went ahead and will face the UK Open Runner-Up James Wade on Saturday.
European champion Ritchie Edhouse ran a 6-4 winner against Owen Bates in an affair of high quality and will now play a resurrected Nathan Aspinall for a place in the last 16, with the second round played across two sessions on Saturday.
Saturday’s schedule and second round draw
Afternoon session (12 o’clock)
Danny noppert vs daryl gurney
Gary Anderson Vs Luke Woodhouse
Dave Chisnall vs Ricardo Pietreczko
Jonny Clayton vs Wessel Nijman
Rob Cross Vs Ross Smith
Damon Heta vs Michael Smith
Stephen Bunting vs Jermaine Wattimena
Nathan Aspinall vs Ritchie Edhouse
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Luke Humphries hit a nine-darth, but lost to Rob Cross in the quarterfinals of the Premier League on Thursday; Cross then hit a ni-darter in his semi-final loss to Nathan Aspinall
Evening session (18:00)
James Wade vs Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright Vs Matt Campbell
Gerwyn Price Vs Gian Van Veen
Dimitri van den Bergh v Schindler/Long
Luke humphries vs mike de decker
Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle
Michael van gerwen vs boris krcmar
Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
Sunday, March 9
Afternoon session (12 o’clock)
Third round
Evening session (18:00)
Quarterfinals
Semi -final
Finally
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Luke Littler says his main goal is to reach the top four after beating Nathan Aspinall in the final of the Night 5 of the Premier League in Brighton
Where does the Premier League head go next time?
The Premier League continues in the Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham on Thursday, March 13, when Luke Humphries and Luke Littler collide in a titanic meeting. View Night Six of Premier League Darts in NottinghamAt Live at Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 19:00 – Stream with now.
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