Nathan Aspinall produced one of the greatest performances in the World Darts Grand Prix history to storm through to the semi-finals on Friday, as former champions Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and James Wade also advanced in Leicester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aspinall produced a darting masterclass on the day at the Mattioli Arena, registering the fourth highest-average in World Grand Prix history to celebrate a sensational 3-0 win over Ryan Joyce in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2022 runner-up averaged 105.15 \u2013 the highest in a best-of-five-sets match at the double-start event \u2013 to continue his pursuit of a third televised ranking title in the East Midlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aspinall was relentless against the man with that moniker, racing to the opening set in just 42 darts, before converting clinical 110 and 112 finishes to double his lead with a remarkable 109.78 average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joyce threatened to halve the deficit with a spirited third-set rearguard, before the Stockport star produced legs of 13 and 14 darts to wrap up proceedings with another timely surge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely buzzing,\u201d insisted the former UK Open and World Matchplay champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt so relaxed and focused tonight. My starting was unbelievable; the amount of 152s I hit in those first two sets was ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m really happy with that performance. That\u2019s probably one of the best performances I\u2019ve ever produced in my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a lot more composed this week. I feel like I can win this tournament, and I feel like I\u2019m ready to win another major [title] again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aspinall will now face Price in a repeat of their semi-final showdown four years ago, after the Welshman overturned a 2-0 deficit to topple his fellow countryman Jonny Clayton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clayton landed 110, 117 and 98 checkouts to establish a two-set lead against a profligate Price, before the 2020 champion came roaring back in spectacular style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having averaged 107 in a blistering third set display, Price completed a clean sweep in the fourth stanza to restore parity, only for Clayton to regain control and lead 2-0 in the decider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, after missing a match dart at double 16 in leg three, Clayton then squandered a further two opportunities in a dramatic decider, allowing Price the chance to punish and complete the comeback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously, I feel for Jonny,\u201d reflected Price, who surrendered a two-set lead against Luke Littler at the same stage of last year\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know what it\u2019s like to be ahead and lose here, but I felt like I was the better player all the way through the game and I was quite unlucky to be 2-0 down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just felt like I was gifting Jonny some opportunities, but that\u2019s the way darts goes sometimes and I had to stick in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m in some decent form. I thought I was dead and buried there but I never give up, and for two sets in that match I was pretty much unplayable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Humphries and Wade will go head-to-head in Saturday\u2019s second semi-final, following emphatic straight-set victories against Dutch duo Niels Zonneveld and Gian van Veen respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2023 winner Humphries is yet to relinquish a set in this year\u2019s tournament, following up whitewash wins over Dave Chisnall and Jermaine Wattimena with another comprehensive triumph against Zonneveld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pair remarkably posted identical averages, but Humphries\u2019 clutch doubling proved decisive as he swept through to a fourth consecutive semi-final in Leicester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of those performance where you aren\u2019t thrilled, but you win 3-0,\u201d reflected a candid Humphries, also a two-time runner-up in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHopefully tomorrow is a lot better because if it isn\u2019t, I won\u2019t be here on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe way I\u2019m practicing, I feel really good, it\u2019s just not been coming out this week. Against James, I know I need it to come out, it\u2019ll be a tough task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo make four World Grand Prix finals on the trot would be super special. There\u2019s not many players that will ever do that, and James will know he\u2019s got a tough game as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier in the night, Wade dispatched Dutch number one Van Veen in devastating fashion, winning eight straight legs to progress to his first World Grand Prix semi-final since 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van Veen wasn\u2019t afforded a dart at a finishing double until the penultimate leg of the contest, as a ruthless Wade averaged north of 96 to preserve his title aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI felt more up for it tonight,\u201d revealed Wade, who lifted the title in 2007 and 2010 respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was really fortunate that Gian didn\u2019t perform and I capitalised on that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I lost to Gezzy [Price] last weekend, I was tired and sluggish, but when I\u2019ve been up for it in recent times, I\u2019ve done alright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve been feeling different in the last two months. Probably the last time I felt like this it was 2008 or 2009.\u201d Nathan Aspinall produced one of the greatest performances in the World Darts Grand Prix history to storm through<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-16236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-darts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
Quarter-Finals<\/strong> Results<\/strong>
Nathan Aspinall 3-0 Ryan Joyce (3-0, 3-2, 3-2)
Gerwyn Price 3-2 Jonny Clayton (2-3, 1-3, 3-1, 3-0, 3-2)
James Wade 3-0 Gian van Veen (3-0, 3-0, 3-1)
Luke Humphries 3-0 Niels Zonneveld (3-1, 3-2, 3-1)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"