Unseeded Ryan Joyce, nicknamed ‘Relentless’, enters the quarter-finals having already eliminated former champion Michael van Gerwen alongside Danny Noppert, relying on unique preparations involving artificial intelligence. The Tyneside thrower revealed his reliance on self-belief after consulting digital tools: “I think I was just bored one night, and I thought, ‘I’ll put ChatGPT on and say I’ve got a big game coming up. Have you got any tips on how I can handle it better?’ The AI programme gave me a list of lots of different things to do, and I thought to myself, ‘well, actually, I already do most of that, I already think like that, I’ve actually taught myself that from my own experience of being a professional for so many years’. That gave me a little boost, so I’ll just continue with what I’m doing. I don’t need anybody’s help. I’m just going to do it myself.” His upcoming opponent Nathan Aspinall demonstrated formidable power by landing eight maximums against Luke Woodhouse, remaining unbothered by Joyce’s famous accuracy at double 16. Confident in his heavy scoring, Aspinall remarked, “Joyce is unreal on his double 16 but he can’t score like me – and he knows that. If I score like I did [in round two], he’s not going to beat me, simple as that.”
Elsewhere in the draw, second-seeded Luke Humphries aims to secure his first televised crown since the 2025 Premier League, facing Dutch outsider Niels Zonneveld. Sitting at world number 35, Zonneveld reached the last eight by defeating Gary Anderson and Josh Rock, prompting caution from the 2023 champion who suffered an unexpected defeat in the 2024 final against Mike De Decker. Showing deep respect for his opponent, Humphries stated, “One thing this tournament teaches you is not to take anyone for granted. If I think because Niels is whatever ranking he is that I’m going to win the game easy, I will fail. He’s playing good darts and could be the Mike De Decker story. I will treat him with the respect I would every player, the respect he deserves.” Reflecting on his quest for an eighth overall major title, Humphries added, “When you have experienced that achievement of winning a lot and then it all goes away for 12 months, when you get that experience of winning again it feels even sweeter. I have worked really hard over the last 12 months and not got the rewards so winning would do me good, boost my confidence. Because I’m not picking up one or two majors a year, people think you are not as good as you used to be but I feel I am playing better than ever. I still feel there is another level in me. I’m just trying to find where that comes from.”
A blockbuster all-Welsh showdown features Gerwyn Price facing close friend and World Cup winning teammate Jonny Clayton in Leicester. Price currently holds a 30-15 edge in their prior encounters—including an 11-7 victory during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam earlier this month—though Clayton crushed him 5-1 to claim the 2021 World Grand Prix title. Preparing for another battle, Price noted, “I know how good Jonny can play, I know how bad he can play. I know how good and how bad I can play. I just need to take my opportunities. If I can start well, score in between and put Jonny under pressure, I think I will come through but it’s going to be a real tough one. It’s special for Wales regardless of who wins the game. We’re going to have a Welshman in the semi-final of another massive major.” Clayton highlighted their playful dynamic, observing, “There’s banter between me and Gezzy. Every time he gets to Welsh No 1, he sends me a flag with a No 1 on. We’re good friends, world number 4 and 5. You can’t fault that from Wales!”
World number four Price has maintained a flawless record in Leicester so far, recording 2-0 and 3-0 triumphs over Sebastian Bialecki and Ross Smith respectively. Meanwhile, world number five Clayton survived a tense 2-1 opener against Krzysztof Ratajski before converting four ton-plus checkouts in a 3-1 win over Wessel Nijman. Should Clayton capture the championship trophy on Sunday, he would surpass Price as Wales’ highest-ranked competitor while cementing his qualification for November’s Grand Slam of Darts. Friday evening’s packed line-up in Leicester also features a quarter-final clash between veteran James Wade and Dutch rising star Gian van Veen.
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