World Grand Prix 2021: Opportunity knocks at double-start event following big-name exits
Jose De Sousa and Jonny Clayton headline Wednesday's second-round action, as former major winners Rob Cross and Krzysztof Ratajski also lock horns for a place in the quarter-finals; watch live World Grand Prix coverage from 7pm on Sky Sports Arena
Wednesday 6 October 2021 18:33, UK
The World Grand Prix was blown wide open after Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson all crashed out in the opening round on Monday night, and now eight players return on Wednesday, vying for a place in Saturday's showpiece final.
Jose De Sousa is the solitary seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, and with all four players in the fourth quarter yet to reach a major PDC ranking final, opportunity knocks in Leicester.
Dirk van Duijvenbode made his breakthrough at last year's event, advancing to his maiden televised final on debut, and the exodus of major champions in round one affords this year's field the chance to replicate the Dutchman's ascent.
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Despite the list of big-name casualties, there will still be an abundance of quality on show, as Jose De Sousa and Jonny Clayton headline Wednesday's action, in a repeat of this year's Premier League final.
Former major champions Rob Cross and Krzysztof Ratajski do battle; Danny Noppert and Vincent van der Voort clash in an all-Dutch affair, while Ian White kicks off the evening against Darius Labanauskas.
De Sousa to deliver retribution against The Ferret?
De Sousa and Clayton collide for a place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night, and the winner of their second-round showdown will be highly-fancied to go all the way at the Morningside Arena.
Clayton defeated De Sousa to clinch Premier League glory back in May, and the Welshman has won six of their nine meetings, including four of their five televised showdowns.
De Sousa is the last seed standing in the bottom half, after Van Gerwen, Wright and Anderson all succumbed on an extraordinary Monday evening. Nevertheless, the enigmatic 'Man O'Scores' has struggled to hit the heights over recent events.
The Grand Slam champion suffered a health scare in Gibraltar last week, almost collapsing due to his diabetes, and he was not particularly convincing in his first-round win over Glen Durrant.
Clayton averaged 95, converted 60 per cent of his finishing doubles and landed a magical 170 finish en route to an emphatic win over Callan Rydz, but can the 'The Ferret' continue his bid for a third major of 2021, or will 'The Special One' avenge his Premier League heartbreak?
Ratajski looking to halt Cross revival
Having been an ever-present in the world's top four since his famous World Championship win, Cross has slipped outside the world's top 10 and could relinquish his place in the world's top 16 over the coming weeks.
Despite suffering Premier League elimination earlier this year, there are signs that 'Voltage' has rediscovered his spark, and he reaffirmed his credentials with a terrific straight-sets win over World Matchplay champion Wright in his opener.
"Everything's good and if the confidence keeps growing, I'm back. I think I can do some damage. I've got to keep myself balanced and keep moving forward," Cross claimed post-match.
However, Cross faces a tough task against World Matchplay semi-finalist Ratajski, who continued his impressive form in major tournaments with a spirited comeback victory over Nathan Aspinall - his first success in the double-start format.
No player has posted more ton-plus averages in televised ranking events than 'The Polish Eagle' in 2021, and while his floor form has underwhelmed, he's finally fulfilling his potential on the big stage. Can the former World Master profit from the multitude of shock exits?
Who will prevail in the Double Dutch affair?
Sporting stars are adept at reeling out the clichéd responses when asked about preferred opponents, but Van der Voort was refreshingly honest when admitting he'd rather face Noppert, over his best friend Van Gerwen.
Van der Voort duly got his wish. Noppert - nicknamed 'The Freeze' - was the epitome of composure against the five-time Grand Prix winner, producing arguably his finest televised performance to record a straight-sets success.
However, Noppert's exploits should not come as a great surprise. The Dutchman boasts plenty of pedigree, having reached a Lakeside final and a major PDC final, at the World Series Finals in 2019.
His seasonal average of 96.16 puts him 15th out of 160 players on the Pro Tour in 2021, and speaking post-match, he bullishly insisted: "I want to go all the way."
The question is, can he reproduce that type of performance? Noppert wouldn't be the first player to struggle fresh from a landmark win over MVG, and Van der Voort, who overcame Gabriel Clemens in his opener, has seen it all before.
Is it time for 'The Diamond' to shine?
White has enjoyed sustained success on the Pro Tour throughout the last decade. He boasts 13 PDC ranking titles on his résumé, but he has only made one televised semi-final during this period.
By his own admission, 'The Diamond' has grown weary of the questions surrounding his inability to transfer his Pro Tour results to the big stage, but after dumping out two-time world champion Anderson in round one, this could be his big opportunity.
The Stoke-on-Trent stalwart will play Labanauskas for a place in the quarter-finals, and following Van Gerwen's shock exit, Noppert or Van der Voort will await if he can overcome the tenacious Lithuanian.
White was featuring in his first competitive match for two months after undergoing an operation in August, and he insists he's fighting fit as he bids to regain his place in the world's top 16.
"Now the operation's done, I feel great and my practising's going well. Before the [World] Matchplay I was playing darts and just worrying about the pain all the time, and I'm just so glad it's gone now."
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