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Nunez levels for Liverpool!
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Liverpool have been having some joy down the right flank and it delivers the equalising goal from Nunez.
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Australia vs England | Sky Sports Live Cricket
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The latest from Perth as England and Australia meet in the first T20 international of a three-game series ahead of the World Cup.
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World Grand Prix semi-finals: Michael van Gerwen sets up showdown with Nathan Aspinall
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Michael van Gerwen stays on course for his sixth World Grand Prix title after reaching his seventh final with a tirade of tungsten bashing to dismantle old foe Peter Wright, as Nathan Aspinall dethroned Gerwyn Price from his position as world No 1 to reach Sunday’s final in Leicester
Last Updated: 09/10/22 12:26am
Michael van Gerwen put an end to his war of words with Peter Wright by demolishing his old adversary to set up a showdown with surprise-finalist Nathan Aspinall at the World Grand Prix.
Van Gerwen stormed into the final with a ruthless straight-sets rout of ‘Snakebite’ Wright, dropping just one leg in a one-sided contest.
Aspinall, meanwhile, battled past 2020 champion Gerwyn Price to earn his first appearance in the World Grand Prix final.
Saturday, October 8 – Results
Semi-Finals Nathan Aspinall 4-2 Gerwyn Price Peter Wright 0-4 Michael van Gerwen 
MVG thrashed Wright in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, winning 4-0 and only dropping one leg! MVG thrashed Wright in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, winning 4-0 and only dropping one leg!
Wright endured a nightmare from the off as Van Gerwen took out 167 in the game’s opening leg and stamped his dominance on the tie by winning the first set without the world champion having a dart at a finishing double.
He also finished 94 and 98 to take command in set two, before punishing misses from Wright to double his lead in the tie.
Checkouts of 67 and 54 saw ‘Mighty Mike’ extend his winning streak to eight legs before Wright finally got off the mark by taking out 73 to pull back to 2-1 in the third set.
The Scot, though, paid for missing his chance to level the set as Van Gerwen closed out the set to close in on another appearance in the final.
He then finished 124 to open the fourth set, double 16 to move 2-0 up and punished further misses from Wright to seal victory on tops.
Wright showed Van Gerwen respect after the Dutchman hit a monstrous 167 finish on the bullseye in the first leg of their clash Wright showed Van Gerwen respect after the Dutchman hit a monstrous 167 finish on the bullseye in the first leg of their clash
“With my performance in the last few days I expected to win, but you still have to do it against a guy like Peter Wright,” said Van Gerwen, who has also seen off Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting and Chris Dobey in Leicester this week.
“He didn’t look well and I don’t know what happened there, but you need to take advantage of that.
“He’s a phenomenal player but he didn’t turn up tonight and I did the right things for myself at the right moment. Early doors I played well and that gave me confidence.”
Michael van Gerwen on Wright thrashing: ‘For a mediocre player, I’m not doing too bad!’ Michael van Gerwen on Wright thrashing: ‘For a mediocre player, I’m not doing too bad!’
Van Gerwen has won the Premier League and World Matchplay this year, and has recovered from his own wrist surgery to return to top form and silence his doubters.
“I don’t have to justify myself,” he added. “Everyone knows what I’m capable of, and when Michael is there they’re all scared.
“I have to win my games and I hope I can keep performing like this tomorrow as well.
“In winning the Premier League I didn’t play my A-game, and I didn’t really play my A-game in the World Matchplay but I still won it. Now I think I’ve played some decent darts and I’m really happy for myself.”
Aspinall ended world No 1 Price’s bid to reach a third successive World Grand Prix final in the first semi-final.
‘The Asp’ started the brighter and landed a 14-darter and a 113 finish as he claimed the opening set 3-1, but Price responded with 121 for a 12-darter on his way to the second set.
However, Aspinall fired in a 13-dart leg as he moved ahead again in the match, before two missed darts at double 16 from Price allowed the Stockport thrower in to land double five as he moved 3-1 up in the tie.
Price flexed his muscles with two massive back-to-back finishes including a 127 checkout on the bull, but despite his big finishes, it was Aspinall who eventually dumped him out Price flexed his muscles with two massive back-to-back finishes including a 127 checkout on the bull, but despite his big finishes, it was Aspinall who eventually dumped him out
Aspinall then moved to the brink of victory in set five, leading 2-1 before Price levelled, and when the former UK Open and US Darts Masters champion missed a match dart at double 16, the 2020 winner pounced with a 117 checkout to snatch the set and keep his hopes alive.
Price then took out 107 and 127 in successive legs to come from behind to lead in the sixth leg, but missed doubles allowed Aspinall in to level before a 13-darter saw him clinically close out the win.
Nathan Aspinall said reaching the World Grand Prix final ‘means so much’ following his recovery from a serious wrist injury Nathan Aspinall said reaching the World Grand Prix final ‘means so much’ following his recovery from a serious wrist injury
“To be in the World Grand Prix final, I’m absolutely on cloud nine,” said Aspinall, who landed a clinical 56 per cent of his finishing doubles in the tie.
“It means so much. I’ve put so much work in since my injury and worked so hard. Finally, I’m back in the final of a major and I’m buzzing.
“I think I should have won the game 4-1 but it wasn’t to be – nerves took their toll on me and Gezzy, when he needed to, took some amazing shots out.
“I thought he was going to kick on and his double tops were going to start going, but it just didn’t happen; I have no idea why and I’m thankful that I won.”
Nathan will have to sharpen up, but has he got the game? Yes! He knows that he’s the underdog and he’s been the underdog the whole event but he’s got the belief. He knows what it takes and he knows he’ll probably have to play better tomorrow than he did tonight. The chances he’ll get tomorrow won’t be as many, but all he can do is come up here and try his best. Can he win it? Yes, he can! But he’ll probably have to do what Robert Thornton did in 2015 and that is hit tops in a relentless way and probably have that little bit of luck with Michael van Gerwen missing. I think that’s what probably needs to happen.
Wayne Mardle on Van Gerwen vs Aspinall
Van Gerwen will be firm favourite going into Sunday’s final, with Aspinall the outsider to claim the £120,000 top prize and lift the new World Grand Prix trophy at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
You can watch the World Grand Prix final on Sky Sports Arena and Main Event on Sunday, October 9 from 7.30pm.
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World Grand Prix: Gerwyn Price and Joe Cullen progress as James Wade and Michael Smith suffer shock exits
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Nathan Aspinall secured a shock win over Michael Smith; Martin Lukeman came through with a surprise upset against James Wade; Gerwyn Price secured a dominant victory as Joe Cullen overcame Damon Heta in a tight contest
Last Updated: 05/10/22 12:47am
Michael Smith suffered a shock first-round exit at the hands of Nathan Aspinall in a night full of upsets at the World Grand Prix in Leicester.
The Stockport man came away with a 2-1 win over Smith as the world No 4 struggled to find his rhythm on the doubles.
Martin Lukeman provided the performance of the night in a shock victory over James Wade, while Gerwyn Price put in a professional performance against Martin Schindler and Joe Cullen overcame Damon Heta.
The final match of the evening was touted as a big encounter and it did not disappoint as Smith and Aspinall faced off in a fast-paced clash.
Aspinall started the encounter with much more promise, breaking Smith early with a 116 finish to go two legs ahead.
Nathan Aspinall started his match against Michael Smith with a 116 checkout in the first round of the World Grand Prix Nathan Aspinall started his match against Michael Smith with a 116 checkout in the first round of the World Grand Prix
‘Bully Boy’ fought back to claim a leg of his own but it was not enough as the world No 16 took advantage of some inaccuracy on the doubles to claim the first set.
The second set continued in the same vein as the first as Aspinall raced into a two-leg lead but Smith was not ready to go down without a fight and checked out on 95 to keep himself in the tie before backing it up with a 101 finish to bring the set level.
Smith took out this finish to level the second set against Aspinall Smith took out this finish to level the second set against Aspinall
A crucial leg followed and a lovely 171 put Aspinall close to victory with three match darts, but he failed to take his chance and Smith checked out on D10 to bring it to a set apiece.
A nervous third set ensued but Aspinall managed to find his form to secure a 3-0 whitewash, checking out on D16 to take the match.
Tuesday, October 4 – Results
First Round Madars Razma 2-1 Ryan Searle Ross Smith 2-1 Andrew Gilding Danny Noppert 2-0 Gabriel Clemens Joe Cullen 2-1 Damon Heta (8) Rob Cross 1-2 Daryl Gurney (5) James Wade 1-2 Martin Lukeman (1) Gerwyn Price 2-0 Martin Schindler (4) Michael Smith 1-2 Nathan Aspinall Price cut an ultra-confident figure as he stepped out for his clash with Schindler and he got off to a flying start, breaking the throw in the first leg and holding his own to power ahead.
With both players unable to find the doubles to checkout, Schindler battled his way back with a D5 in the third leg of the set but it was to no avail as ‘The Iceman’ discovered his accuracy once again to take out D2 for the first set.
Gerwyn Price enjoyed this 101 finish on his way to victory over Martin Schindler Gerwyn Price enjoyed this 101 finish on his way to victory over Martin Schindler
The Welshman’s dominance continued into the second set as Schindler was unable to get comfortable, a sublime 101 finish to break the throw spurring him on to victory and into the second round.
Lukeman came through with the biggest upset of the night against Wade, taking the first set in three straight legs and stunning the world No 5 to secure his first televised victory.
Lukeman, who sits outside the world top 50, was easily finding some big maximums while Wade struggled to get going on the doubles, Wade at one point needing seven darts to get his leg going on the doubles.
Martin Lukeman caused a huge upset, beating James Wade in the first round Martin Lukeman caused a huge upset, beating James Wade in the first round
The second set produced a partial fightback from Wade as he brought his average back up, a crucial D2 keeping him in the tie but the third leg saw Lukeman battle well and hold his throw with a D10 to take the lead.
Out of nowhere, Wade found a vital 121 finish to bring it to a deciding leg but it was Lukeman who ended with three match darts and used them well, hitting the D8 to secure the biggest win of his career so far.
It was touted to be a tight and exciting match-up and Cullen and Heta did not disappoint in their opening set, trading breaks of throw and ton-plus finishes before a D16 saw Cullen take the opener.
Heta take complete control in the second set, breaking Cullen twice, including a brilliant 115 finish, to take a 3-0 whitewash and bring the tie all square but Cullen took the final set and the match on D8 to conclude a gritty and enthralling match.
Joe Cullen struck an early break in his first-round match against Damon Heta Joe Cullen struck an early break in his first-round match against Damon Heta
The tight contests continued as former world champion Rob Cross and former World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney faced off, both players holding their throw before Cross’ inability to find the crucial double to start, missing nine times, gifted Gurney a chance to break and take the first set.
After Cross fought back in the second set, hitting two maximums and breaking Gurney to make things even, ‘Superchin’ held it together and broke Cross early in the final leg to take the big win.
Last year’s semi-finalist Danny Noppert was back to show his form on the doubles again as he took on Gabriel Clemens. An astonishing second leg saw the Dutchman take 13 darts to get going on the double but he rallied to leave himself on a ton-plus finish of 101 to seal the leg before going on to take the set.
Danny Noppert missed 12 darts at double to get started in the second leg of his game against Gabriel Clemens but still managed to win the leg after a remarkable turnaround Danny Noppert missed 12 darts at double to get started in the second leg of his game against Gabriel Clemens but still managed to win the leg after a remarkable turnaround
Clemens fought back for a couple of legs but Noppert raised his game and grinded out a 2-0 win as he looks to go one step further than 2021.
With three debutants on show as the opening round came to a close, there were some upsets to be had and Madars Razma had a strong showing as he won 2-1 against Ryan Searle, taking the first set after breaking the throw twice before taking out a lovely 108 finish to win the match and progress to the second round.
Andrew Gilding hit this 102 checkout on his way to winning the first set of his first-round match against Ross Smith Andrew Gilding hit this 102 checkout on his way to winning the first set of his first-round match against Ross Smith
An all-British tie between Ross Smith and Andrew Gilding saw Smith come away with the spoils in a closely-fought 2-1 victory.
Wednesday, October 5- Fixtures (1900 BST)
Second Round Adrian Lewis vs Chris Dobey Peter Wright vs Krzyztof Ratajski Michael van Gerwen vs Stephen Bunting Jonny Clayton vs Dimitri Van den Burgh Wednesday sees the players from night one back in action as Adrian Lewis faces Chris Dobey, Peter Wright is up against Krzysztof Ratajski, Michael van Gerwen plays Stephen Bunting and Jonny Clayton faces off against Dimitri Van den Bergh as the second round gets under way.
Live World Grand Prix Darts
October 5, 2022, 7:00pm
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Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. You can watch the 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double in, Double out’ set format on Sky Sports all the way through to the final on October 9 in Leicester.
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‘I’ve been told I’m boring!’ | Siri interrupts Jamie Mackie live on Soccer Special!
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Siri made a surprise appearance on Soccer Special, interrupting Jamie Mackie mid-sentence!
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Deebo Samuel does it all on electrifying 57-yard touchdown
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Deebo Samuel produced an electric 57-yard touchdown to help the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams.
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World Grand Prix: Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Jonny Clayton and Adrian Lewis all win on opening night
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Five-time winner Michael Van Gerwen beat rival Gary Anderson, while defending champion Jonny Clayton scraped into the second round by coming from a set down to defeat 2020 finalist Dirk Van Duijvenbode; Peter Wright and Adrian Lewis also won through at the World Grand Prix
Last Updated: 04/10/22 1:49am
Michael van Gerwen won the battle between two darting giants as he set aside a nervy start to ease past Gary Anderson on opening night of the World Grand Prix.
Van Gerwen – chasing a sixth World Grand Prix success – ran out a resounding 2-0 winner against two-time World Champion Anderson in a repeat of the 2016 final.
Jonny Clayton survived a scare as he began his title defence with a comeback victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Peter Wright and Adrian Lewis also progressed in Leicester.
Check out the best of the action from the opening night of the World Grand Prix Check out the best of the action from the opening night of the World Grand Prix
Monday, October 3 – Results
First Round Callan Rydz 0-2 Krzysztof Ratajski Brendan Dolan 0-2 Stephen Bunting Chris Dobey 2-0 Luke Humphries Dimitri Van den Bergh 2-1 Dave Chisnall Jonny Clayton 2-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode Peter Wright 2-0 Kim Huybrechts Michael van Gerwen 2-0 Gary Anderson Jose de Sousa 0-2 Adrian Lewis 
Anderson could help but smile after he scored just nine in his emphatic defeat to Van Gerwen Anderson could help but smile after he scored just nine in his emphatic defeat to Van Gerwen
Van Gerwen reeled off a scrappy first set without reply, despite Anderson missing darts to win every leg – squandering 11 darts at double in total.
The Scot responded with a clinical 84 to seize control of the second set, but after firing back with a 15-dart riposte, ‘The Green Machine’ followed up his third 180 with a 106 finish to seal victory in 12 darts.
Van Gerwen booked his spot in the second round spot with this incredible 12-dart leg… Van Gerwen booked his spot in the second round spot with this incredible 12-dart leg…
“The first round at the World Grand Prix against Gary Anderson is never going to be easy,” admitted Van Gerwen, who averaged 101 in a superb second set display.
“You never know with Gary. He still has a lot of talent and is a brilliant player, so you have to perform well.
“We both missed so many doubles in the first set, but the second set is something to build on for the next round.”
MVG is targeting more success having already claimed victory in this year’s Premier League and World Matchplay MVG is targeting more success having already claimed victory in this year’s Premier League and World Matchplay
Clayton was handed a tough assignment against 2020 runner-up Van Duijvenbode in the unique double-start event, but recovered from a shaky start to book a showdown with Dimitri Van den Bergh at the Morningside Arena.
Van Duijvenbode dominated the opening exchanges, punishing a lacklustre start from the reigning champion to draw first blood with a sublime 156 checkout.
Clayton’s terrific 130 finish midway through set two shifted the pendulum, and as an increasingly frustrated Dutchman faltered late on with ‘The Ferret’ capitalising to move through to a meeting against Van den Bergh.
Jonny Clayton admitted he was fortunate to progress through after a late rally saw him defeat Dirk van Duijvenbode Jonny Clayton admitted he was fortunate to progress through after a late rally saw him defeat Dirk van Duijvenbode
“I’m glad to get through obviously, but Dirk should have won that game,” conceded Clayton, who crushed fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price in last year’s showpiece.
“I just couldn’t get going tonight, but thankfully I managed to scrape through.
“Dimitri is a brilliant player, just like Dirk. Hopefully my game will improve on Wednesday. I’m going to come out of the blocks better than I did tonight.”
Van den Bergh nailed this brilliant 81 checkout on the bullseye in his win over Dave Chisnall Van den Bergh nailed this brilliant 81 checkout on the bullseye in his win over Dave Chisnall
Van den Bergh secured only his second victory on the World Grand Prix stage with a deciding-leg win over two-time finalist Dave Chisnall.
World Champion Peter Wright defied a spirited fightback from Kim Huybrechts to begin his bid for a maiden World Grand Prix crown with a 2-0 win in a high-quality affair.
Adrian Lewis rolled back the years by hitting the Jackpot with this majestic 152 finish Adrian Lewis rolled back the years by hitting the Jackpot with this majestic 152 finish
And 2010 finalist Adrian Lewis made a winning return in his first World Grand Prix appearance since 2019, converting three ton-plus checkouts to close out an impressive 2-0 win over Jose De Sousa, who becomes the first seed to exit this year’s tournament.
Chris Dobey sunk two huge ton-plus checkouts as he swept past Luke Humphries Chris Dobey sunk two huge ton-plus checkouts as he swept past Luke Humphries
‘Jackpot’ will now play ‘Hollywood’ Chris Dobey, who produced a spectacular display of finishing to stun Luke Humphries and secure his first win at this event since reaching the 2019 semi-finals on debut.
Krzysztof Ratajski and Stephen Bunting also progressed with 2-0 victories, beating Callan Rydz and Brendan Dolan respectively.
Dobey won the opening set with Luke Humphries with this Hollywood ending Dobey won the opening set with Luke Humphries with this Hollywood ending
Live World Grand Prix Darts
October 4, 2022, 7:00pm
Live on
Tuesday, October 4 – Fixtures (1900 BST)
First Round Madars Razma vs Ryan Searle Ross Smith vs Andrew Gilding Danny Noppert vs Gabriel Clemens Joe Cullen vs Damon Heta Rob Cross vs Daryl Gurney James Wade vs Martin Lukeman Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler Michael Smith vs Nathan Aspinall The first round action draws to a close on Tuesday night, as world No 1 Gerwyn Price begins his bid for a second World Grand Prix crown against German debutant Martin Schindler.
Two-time winner James Wade faces another newcomer in Martin Lukeman, 2017 champion Daryl Gurney plays eighth seed Rob Cross, while Michael Smith takes on Nathan Aspinall in another tasty tie.
Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. You can watch the 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double in, Double out’ set format on Sky Sports all the way through to the final on October 9 in Leicester.
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World Grand Prix: Emma Paton’s predictions for the unique tournament held in Leicester
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Emma Paton
Sky Sports News Reporter/Presenter @MissEmmaPaton
Emma Paton returns ahead of the World Grand Prix Darts to make her predictions for the iconic double-in, double-out tournament; who is she picking to win this year’s event in Leicester? And will Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson be her must-watch first-round tie?
Last Updated: 02/10/22 3:31pm
It’s prediction time for Emma Paton with the World Grand Prix on her mind
Our very own Emma Paton is back for her latest predictions ahead of this year’s World Grand Prix Darts at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Find out who Emma is backing to win the unique event, which is best known for its double-in, double-out format.
The 25th staging of the prestigious tournament will feature seven sessions of action from October 3-9 – live on Sky Sports!
Enjoy the best moments from the World Grand Prix, from the first nine-darter, Andy Callaby beating Phil Taylor and MVG’s first TV title win Enjoy the best moments from the World Grand Prix, from the first nine-darter, Andy Callaby beating Phil Taylor and MVG’s first TV title win
Tournament favourite?
Well this isn’t a huge surprise, he is the bookies’ favourite too, but I’ve gone for…
…Gerwyn Price!
Gerwyn Price hit two nine-dart finishes in one night in the Premier League in Belfast… Gerwyn Price hit two nine-dart finishes in one night in the Premier League in Belfast…
‘The Iceman’ knows what it takes to win, he won this event two years ago, and then followed that up with a runner-up finish last year, ultimately losing out to fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton.
He’s coming into form nicely having, by his own admission, struggled with the schedule earlier on in the year. The world No 1 arrives in Leicester off the back of winning The World Series of Darts Finals, plus he missed last weekend’s event in Belgium so should be feeling fresh!
Compared to the other members of the ‘Big Three’ including Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen, I think his section of the draw is slightly more favourable.
He faces a debutant in Martin Schindler in the first round, and he knows what to expect there after their first-round tie in Blackpool!
A tricky last-16 tie looms with either Masters champion Joe Cullen or Australia’s No 1 Damon Heta but I expect him to get past either of those, with Rob Cross the highest seed in his quarter.
Michael Smith and James Wade are in his half – we all know how dangerous Wade can be in this event having won it twice, but in five of his last seven appearances he’s not made it past the opening round – so I’m backing Price to at least reach the final.
Price raised the roof with a nine-darter during his semi-final against Danny Noppert at the World Matchplay Price raised the roof with a nine-darter during his semi-final against Danny Noppert at the World Matchplay
One to watch?
…Danny Noppert!
Will Danny Noppert be the one to watch in Leicester?
Now this might sound counter-intuitive because he’s in the same half as Price!! But I think he can certainly make it out of his quarter.
He did just that last year, in the end losing to Clayton in the semis and he could find himself with a similar scenario this time around with a different Welshman ending his chances.
He looks more and more confident every time I see him on the stage and certainly since winning the UK Open earlier this year. He has such a calmness and steel about him, I’m a big fan of the way he goes about his business.
We don’t seem to talk him up too much ahead of majors, despite him picking one up this year! He’s still flying under the radar with the bookies too at 25/1 but ‘The Freeze’ is one to keep your eye on!
Danny Noppert showcased some serious darthousery with a no-look 180 before taking out 86 on the bullseye at the World Matchplay Danny Noppert showcased some serious darthousery with a no-look 180 before taking out 86 on the bullseye at the World Matchplay
Double-in, double-out…
…adds to the excitement!! Well it does for us anyway!
Watch every nine-darter hit at the World Grand Prix… Watch every nine-darter hit at the World Grand Prix…
For the players, the first round is a nerve shredder! The fact we start with best of three sets as well adds to the drama. There’s no room for a slow start, last year showed exactly that with the likes of Peter Wright and MVG falling at the first hurdle.
There’s drama of the other kind too – we’ve seen players in the past step up on the stage and forget it’s double-in and go straight for the treble 20!
The fact we only see this format once a year adds a sprinkling of something special, it’s unique, and a great leveller for the players.
Must-watch first-round tie?
…Jonny Clayton vs Dirk van Duijvenbode!
Clayton struck with five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title Clayton struck with five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title
Is there any other answer?!
To be fair there are some cracking opening ties but this is the standout for me.
They’ve met a couple of times recently – at the World Series Finals which went the Dutchman’s way, and then what a belter at the Belgian Darts Open over the weekend, both players averaged 105 but it was ‘The Ferret’ who came out on top then.
Jonny Clayton triumphed at the World Grand Prix after thrashing Gerwyn Price 5-1 Jonny Clayton triumphed at the World Grand Prix after thrashing Gerwyn Price 5-1
Clayton is the defending champion of course and is coming into form. He finished the Premier League top of the table but has admitted defeat to Joe Cullen in the play-offs knocked his confidence which took some time to recover from but he’s certainly getting back to his best.
Van Duijvenbode might not have won this event, but he came close a couple of years ago getting to the final and he’s getting closer to winning something on the big stage.
Oh it should be good, shouldn’t it?
Live World Grand Prix Darts
October 3, 2022, 7:00pm
Live on
2022 World Grand Prix
Schedule of Play
Monday October 3 (1900 BST)
8x First Round matches
Callan Rydz vs Krzysztof Ratajski
Brendan Dolan vs Stephen Bunting
Chris Dobey vs Luke Humphries
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Dave Chisnall
(7) Jonny Clayton vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
(2) Peter Wright vs Kim Huybrechts
(3) Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson
(6) Jose de Sousa vs Adrian LewisLive World Grand Prix Darts
October 4, 2022, 7:00pm
Live on
Tuesday October 4 (1900 BST)
8x First Round matches
Madars Razma vs Ryan Searle
Ross Smith vs Andrew Gilding
Danny Noppert vs Gabriel Clemens
Joe Cullen vs Damon Heta
(8) Rob Cross vs Daryl Gurney
(5) James Wade vs Martin Lukeman
(1) Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler
(4) Michael Smith vs Nathan AspinallCheck out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. You can watch the 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double-in, Double-out’ set format on Sky Sports from October 3-9 in Leicester.
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World Grand Prix: Jonny Clayton bids to retain title with Peter Wright vowing to raise his game
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Jonny Clayton will be out to retain his World Grand Prix title at Leicester’s Morningside Arena from October 3-9; watch the unique double-start event live on Sky Sports Arena this week
Last Updated: 02/10/22 12:07pm
Jonny Clayton beat fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price to win his maiden World Grand Prix
Jonny Clayton will be bidding to retain his World Grand Prix title in the unique double-start event, while Peter Wright has vowed to raise his game to “another level”.
Clayton will begin the defence of his title defence against high-flying Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode, while world champion Wright begins his bid for a maiden World Grand Prix crown against Kim Huybrechts.
Clayton clinched his first televised ranking crown in last year’s showpiece with a 5-1 demolition of fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price.
The reigning champion will look to repeat those heroics in this year’s 32-player tournament, which takes place at Leicester’s Morningside Arena from October 3-9, with a record-breaking £600,000 prize fund on offer.
Clayton is hoping to follow in the footsteps of 11-time winner Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen – who is chasing a sixth crown this year – by becoming only the third player in World Grand Prix history to retain their title.
“The double-in double-out format is challenging, but it separates the men from the boys,” said Clayton.
“I’m going to turn up and play to the best level I can. If I play my best game, I’ve got a good chance of defending my title so that’s what I will try and do.
“There are not many people that have defended the World Grand Prix and I’d love to join that list, so fingers crossed it’s going to happen again.”
Clayton sunk five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Gerwyn Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title Clayton sunk five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Gerwyn Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title
Van Duijvenbode defeated Clayton at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam a fortnight ago, but ‘The Ferret’ gained revenge with a thrilling 6-4 victory at last weekend’s Belgian Darts Open.
Meanwhile, Wright will be featuring in his first televised ranking event since undergoing gallstones surgery in August, having returned to winning ways at last month’s International Darts Open in Jena.
“I was really happy with the win in Jena,” said ‘Snakebite’ Wright. “I won it quite easily, beating some top players on the way through, so after the surgery it’s all good.
“I feel confident about where my game is. I think I’m in the top four on the averages over the past few months, so if I can hit my double to start, I should be pretty dangerous.”
Peter Wright will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive first round exit at the World Grand Prix
Wright, a runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in 2018, will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive first round exit in the double-start event when he takes on Belgian star Kim Huybrechts.
The world No 2 is without a televised ranking title since scooping his second World Championship crown in January, and he is determined to add to his haul in Leicester.
“The World Grand Prix is definitely on my list,” insisted Wright. “I was practising for this tournament straight after the surgery. I said to myself that I’ve got to start on tops because it gives you the chance to get the highest start, so fingers crossed it works.
“Kim is playing well. He’s in a good place and he’s beaten me quite a few times recently, but this is double-start so it’s a different playing field. If I hit my doubles, I’ll win.”
World No 1 Gerwyn Price takes on German debutant Martin Schindler in his opening round tie, while Michael van Gerwen begins his bid for a sixth World Grand Prix success against his old adversary Gary Anderson, in a repeat of the 2016 final.
Dan Dawson and Colin Lloyd make their predictions ahead of the World Grand Prix in Leicester on the latest edition of Love The Darts Dan Dawson and Colin Lloyd make their predictions ahead of the World Grand Prix in Leicester on the latest edition of Love The Darts
World Grand Prix
Schedule of Play
Monday October 3 (1900 BST)
8x First Round matches (best of three sets)
Callan Rydz vs Krzysztof Ratajski
Brendan Dolan vs Stephen Bunting
Chris Dobey vs Luke Humphries
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Dave Chisnall
(7) Jonny Clayton vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
(2) Peter Wright vs Kim Huybrechts
(3) Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson
(6) Jose de Sousa vs Adrian LewisTuesday October 4 (1900 BST)
8x First Round matches (best of three sets)
Madars Razma vs Ryan Searle
Ross Smith vs Andrew Gilding
Danny Noppert vs Gabriel Clemens
Joe Cullen vs Damon Heta
(8) Rob Cross vs Daryl Gurney
(5) James Wade vs Martin Lukeman
(1) Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler
(4) Michael Smith vs Nathan AspinallCheck out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. You can watch the 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double in, Double out’ set format on Sky Sports from October 2-8 in Leicester.
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Darren Bent recreates his famous beachball goal | Fantasy Football League
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Matt Lucas and Elis James challenge Darren Bent to recreate his famous beachball goal against Liverpool in 2009. Watch Fantasy Football League on Sky Max on Thursdays at 10pm.
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A Review of Bunpro
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For many Japanese learners out there, grammar study begins the old fashioned way: in a textbook. In the popular beginner textbook series Genki for example, the authors present learners with a dialogue in Japanese, and then break down the grammar points used alongside the vocabulary to help learners better understand it. While this is a great way of familiarizing yourself with some of the standard grammar concepts in Japanese, it can be a little difficult to know when to review them, and their usage in contexts other than the dialogue you’re familiar with.
Bunpro attempts to solve this problem by applying the popular and proven-effective spaced repetition study technique to grammar. Spaced Repetition Systems, or SRS, is probably a familiar concept to many language learners as it’s often used to help memorize vocabulary, like with Tofugu’s own WaniKani and the ever-popular Anki. It’s something I’ve described previously as almost like a multiplier of your own ability to memorize information. Commonly used for building vocabulary, Bunpro’s novel utilization of this powerful method with what’s known as “cloze deletion” — which is more or less fill in the blank (more on this later!) — grammar flashcards aims to make grammar points stick much longer than just a simple glance through a textbook.
So how well does it actually work? That’s exactly what I aimed to find out in practice. With a range of both fun and convenient integrations, the ability to utilize the app for multiple different study methods and aims, and frequent updates, Bunpro can be a highly useful component of any Japanese learner’s study routine.
What is Bunpro?
Bunpro is a spaced repetition software designed for studying Japanese grammar and vocabulary. It’s primarily a web-based app, though there are alpha versions of mobile apps for both iOS and Android (as these are incomplete, your mileage in using them may vary). Bunpro is available for a subscription fee after a 30-day free trial, at either $5/month, $50/year, or a single $150 payment for lifetime access.
So what do you get for your money? Access to a powerful and flexible SRS, designed to work regardless of if you’re a self-studier looking for a bit more structure, or someone who wants to use Bunpro as the center of their grammar study.
After signing up, you’ll be directed to your dashboard. On this page, you can see how many grammar and vocabulary reviews you have due, a prompt to study new grammar, some stats like a forecast of upcoming reviews, and a chart of previous reviews, personal stats like your current streak and days studied, and finally some of the recent posts on their popular forum.
There’s also a navigation bar up top with a few more links to the pages below:
Study A page for learning new grammar points you haven’t studied yet, based on the target JLPT level you select in the settings. Review Takes you directly to your reviews. Cram Lets you do extra reviews outside of the SRS intervals, to really nail down some sticking points. Content Allows you browse all the available grammar points, offers a reading practice section, or enables you to search for vocab to add to your review queue. Paths Takes you to an alternative sorting of the grammar points, to correspond with one of several popular textbook series like Genki. Finally, there’s a deep settings page, which allows you to tweak everything from how much furigana is shown, a menu to tell Bunpro which textbook you’re using, how reviews should work, and more. You can also choose to opt into the beta version of Bunpro, meaning you’ll get access to the latest features while they’re still being tested. While Bunpro doesn’t require the deep setup of something like Anki, it’s well worth it for you to go through these settings to make sure things are configured in the way that works best for you.
SRS
Bunpro uses spaced repetition to help reinforce the brain’s ability to memorize things long-term.
At its core, Bunpro is an SRS. This means it uses the technique of spaced repetition to help reinforce the brain’s ability to memorize things long-term, rather than just something you’re likely to forget. Most commonly, this technique is performed with flashcards, which is known as cued recall: you’re given a cue for something, maybe a word written in kanji, for example, and are asked to recall the rest of the information, such as the reading and definition. Then, depending on how well you were able to recall that information, the interval between the next time you review that information is adjusted. If you remembered it, the interval is increased, and if you didn’t, the interval is decreased. The aim is to get you to recall the information just before forgetting it, helping cement it into your long-term memory.
While that’s the general definition, in practice SRS comes in many forms. For example, you could technically do spaced repetition study all by yourself, with a set of flashcards and a calendar. However, it’s much much more convenient to let a computer do all the heavy lifting for you. Additionally, different applications will have different intervals, and different ways to adjust them. For example, Anki allows you to customize intervals and offers four different options to adjust them (but check out my Anki review for why you might only want to use two of them!)
Cloze Deletion and Progressive Sentences
There are many different ways to test your knowledge and just as many tools to accomplish just that. Let’s take a look at how BunPro stacks up with the other apps I’ve mentioned.
Bunpro asks you to type in the answers to example sentences with a fill-in-the-blanks gap.
When it comes to Anki, the app only asks you to recall the information, and grade yourself on how well you did, which has both benefits and drawbacks. WaniKani asks users to type in answers, which takes a little more time but prevents you from marking yourself correct if you didn’t actually know what you’re being tested on. Though the implementation is a little different, both of these methods fall under the cued recall technique I mentioned earlier.
Like WaniKani, Bunpro also asks you to type in the answers by using something known as cloze deletion or a cloze test. You’re given example sentences with a fill-in-the-blanks gap. You need to type in the correct grammar point, for example, a verb conjugated into a specific grammatical form, or a common expression, to complete the sentence.
While both are valid and valuable methods of study, in a 1989 study, psychologist John Glover found the cloze deletion form of cued recall more effective for long-term learning than a simple recognition test (for example, having to pick the correct answer from a list, like with multiple choice questions).
Here’s an example review question from Bunpro. They present you with the sentence: 家具を買うなら、このお店___。Pressing space will give you a hint, which is a concise definition of the grammar point they’re looking for. If you still don’t know, hitting space again will give you a full English translation of the sentence, with the missing grammar point defined in blue. In the sentence above, the grammar point they’re looking for is にかぎる or “nothing better than,” making the sentence, “If you want to buy furniture, there’s no shop better than this one.”
Seeing Japanese grammar and vocabulary used in context is extremely valuable for deepening your understanding.
Personally, I think seeing Japanese grammar and vocabulary used in context is extremely valuable for deepening your understanding. While testing yourself on the one-to-one translation of vocabulary has its place in the learning process when usage is self-explanatory and straightforward (knowing 雪 means “snow” gives you a pretty complete picture of its usage), for more complicated terms and grammar points you can’t really get achieve a deep understanding without seeing them in context. Of course, Bunpro takes it a step further than simply seeing a grammar point in context as it asks you to practice using it, albeit in a focused manner.
Bunpro does a good job of not only varying the sentences, but making sure to show progressive sentences.
On the flipside, these example sentences initially drew my concern when going into Bunpro. As I mentioned in my Anki review, I’m a bit wary of learning one hyper-specific cue or context. For instance, learning to recognize the context of a single example sentence, as opposed to achieving a broader or more holistic understanding of what you’re aiming to study. Luckily, Bunpro specifically works to alleviate this issue. While you will see the same sentences more than once, Bunpro does a good job of not only varying the sentences, but making sure to show progressive sentences, either one that showcases a different usage for the grammar point than the one you already know, or a sentence that builds off other grammar points you’ve learned.
For example, consider the phrase 込む, which can be used as a suffix or helper verb. It can mean both something like “to enter into,” as well as “to be deep in something,” or “to remain in a certain state.” To help convey both of these usages, they give a variety of different example sentences, such as 「ピンを壁に押し込む 」or “to push a pin into a wall,” and 「そんなに考え込まなくてもいいよ。 」which can be translated as “It’s okay to not think so deeply about this.” This not only keeps things fresh but helps ensure you’re getting more of a complete picture than simply memorizing one specific line.
Bunpro’s greatest strength is its ability to fit any learner’s needs.
Perhaps the best thing about Bunpro is the flexibility it offers. This flexibility doesn’t end with progressive sentences, either. Whether you’re looking for a way to brush up on some difficult grammar, or an app for all your grammar and vocabulary study, Bunpro has a lot to offer. However, it is an app still in development, which can lead to some slight issues or lack of polish in some areas, but that also means it’s constantly being updated and improved. The developers have a blog where they detail some of the recent changes and improvements, as well as listen to user feedback and discuss what’s coming in the future.
Bunpro’s greatest strength is its ability to fit any learner’s needs. Regardless of if you want a companion app for a formal class, or are a dedicated self-studier, Bunpro is here for you.
Grammar and Vocab
As I mentioned, despite the name, Bunpro isn’t limited to studying grammar. They’ve recently added vocabulary reviews as well. As a burgeoning feature, it still has a ways to go, but the initial report is promising.
Bunpro has a couple of thousand vocabulary terms from the JLPT N5 and N4 levels.
So far, Bunpro has a couple of thousand vocabulary terms from the JLPT N5 and N4 levels. You can navigate to these via the search page, clicking on words in example sentences (where available), and by deck, a new way of grouping study items. For example, there’s a deck of N5 vocabulary which contains 1100 vocabulary items. You can bookmark this deck, use the “learn” feature to start studying the terms, and then add them to your SRS queue. From there, reviews work like Anki, asking you to simply grade yourself, though on Bunpro there are only two buttons to choose from, labeled “Known” or “Unknown.”
On the blog, the developers have detailed the intent to make every word in every sentence clickable and to continue adding vocabulary to their database, with the goal of over 7000 words added by the end of 2022. Since it’s still in planning I don’t want to put too much emphasis on this feature, though I’ve been impressed by the updates and features the Bunpro team has added to the project since its launch.
Still, grammar is the star of the show. When you go to the page for any particular grammar point you’re given the conjugation or structure, explanations of its usage, synonymous grammar points, warnings on common mistakes or nuance, and copious example sentences. While these explanations don’t really rival something like the Dictionary of Japanese Grammar series, they’re a more than fine starting point, giving you both a basic foundation, as well as the information to go a bit deeper.
As I mentioned before, Bunpro’s example sentences help convey multiple usages of any particular point, adding to the depth of your understanding. For me, it’s this depth that elevates Bunpro from a simple beginner resource. Comparing and contrasting similar grammar points, and walking through seemingly correct but deceptively-ungrammatical usages is unfortunately not as common a practice for beginner learners as it should be. It’s this sort of nuance that can help students build a foundation of Japanese the right way.
Study, Lessons, Paths, and Decks
Bunpro has a ton of options to suit your learning style.
Now, how are you going to decide what grammar points to review? Well, it’s really up to you! Bunpro has a ton of options to suit your learning style, and while I love the flexibility, the overlapping pathways are a bit clunky. This is one of my main complaints with the app, actually. In practice, I think most learners will find whichever means of accessing the grammar relevant to them is most convenient and stick with it. Luckily, progress is saved across the site, so if you start learning at your own pace and want to switch to a Path, there’s no penalty for doing so.
The “Study” feature will show you new grammar patterns you haven’t learned yet from your target level.
After signing up, you can set your target JLPT level under settings. Even if you don’t intend to take the JLPT anytime soon, it’s a helpful framework for grouping the different grammar and vocabulary as you embark on your Japanese learning journey. From there, the simplest way into the grammar is using the “Study” feature. With this, Bunpro will show you new grammar patterns you haven’t learned yet from your target level, anywhere from 1-10 new grammar points a day, which you can also configure in the settings. After you read through the explanations, these new grammar points are automatically added to your review queue, allowing you to progress through the JLPT grammar points at your preferred pace. More on the “Study” feature a bit later!
“Lessons” is basically an index page with every grammar point Bunpro offers.
Next is “Lessons.” This is basically an index page with every grammar point Bunpro offers from JLPT N5 to N1. Here, you can freely browse the available grammar points and add the items you want to review. I think this is a great option for learners who have already worked through at least one textbook and want to help strengthen their understanding of a grammar point or two before they move on. Of course, you should use this at your own discretion. While it’s possible to add every N5 grammar point to your queue, for example, that would only lead you to burnout.
Paths allow learners who are working through a textbook to use Bunpro like a companion app.
The final two methods are some of the most powerful, and also go hand in hand. These are “Paths” and “Decks.” Paths allow learners who are working through a textbook to use Bunpro like a companion app, automatically grouping the grammar points as they are in the textbook. Bunpro offers paths for the 2nd Edition of Genki I and II, みんなの日本語 I and II, Tobira, Tae Kim’s Grammar Guide, and An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese. This is a fantastic feature that allows you to harness the power of SRS reviews for the content you’re already familiar with in addition to the new grammar explanation to help deepen your knowledge.
Decks are like the evolution of the Paths feature.
Decks are like the evolution of the Paths feature. Like Paths, Decks group grammar in a number of different ways. There are decks for all of Bunpro’s grammar from N5 to N1, and decks for N5 and N4 vocab. There are also deck forms of the textbook paths above, and new decks for the “Starter,” “Elementary 1,” and “Elementary 2” books of the Marugoto series, and books 1 and 2 of the Quartet series. Finally, there’s a deck for Kansai-ben grammar and vocabulary as well.
Decks combine grammar and vocabulary reviews into one.
Wait, “grammar and vocabulary?” That’s right, and that’s the primary reason decks are so powerful: they combine grammar and vocabulary reviews into one. Right now, there are integrated decks of both vocabulary and grammar for both the 2nd and 3rd editions of Genki I, as well as all three Marugoto books, with more on the way.
This is huge for students as offering basically a companion app to some of the most popular textbooks makes getting started that much easier. I personally feel I wasted a lot of time early on in my Japanese studies, as I stagnated a bit while I tried my hardest to make sure I really had a good grasp on the basics. With this feature, Bunpro offers a high-quality, convenient way to help reinforce what you’re learning, so there’s no guessing if you’ve really locked in that grammar point or not.
Study In-Depth
So, how does the Study feature actually work in practice? The page shown is basically the same as when you look up any grammar point on its own, though you’re taken through each tab one by one. It’s broken into three tabs, “Details,” “Examples,” and “Resources.”
Details Details lists the structure, as in how a grammar point is conjugated or used; gives an explanation for the grammar point; offers synonyms and antonyms; and provides a place to add your own notes. Examples Examples offers a large number of example sentences, which all have audio and English translations. There are also toggles to slow the audio or swap to a male/female voice, or to hide either the Japanese or English text. Resources Finally, the resources page offers links to other free sites with more information. While this can be helpful, it’s a bit strange to send users directly to other resources. From there, similar to WaniKani, once you’re finished taking in all the information from the new grammar points, you’re given a mini-quiz on just those points. These are the same as the regular reviews, meaning cloze deletion fill-in-the-blanks example sentences. These grammar points are then added to your standard review queue.
While it’s not a perfect system, it’s a good option if you want to learn all the grammar points offered on Bunpro at a steady pace without having to go through to pick what to add.
Reading Practice
Readings are akin to the short dialogue sections you’d find in the Genki beginner textbook series.
Rounding out the recent additions to Bunpro is the Reading Practice section. Available under the “Content” drop-down menu on the navigation bar, clicking this takes users to an index page with a number of different readings grouped by JLPT level. These aren’t graded readers, exactly; they’re more akin to the short dialogue sections you’d find in the Genki beginner textbook series. Additionally, the page is simply an index with all their excerpts listed from N5 to N2, leaving it up to you to pick what you want to read. You can mark items off as “read,” but I wish Bunpro was a bit more advanced about recommending level-appropriate content.
The excerpts aren’t especially long or engaging, but Bunpro makes up for it with the wealth of options afforded to learners.
I’ve written before about how important I feel reading practice is for improving your Japanese ability, and this is no exception. While the excerpts aren’t quite as long or as engaging as some of the other beginner reading material I’ve come across, Bunpro makes up for it with the wealth of options afforded to learners. There are toggle switches to make the text vertical rather than horizontal, as Japanese is usually written vertically. You can also add highlights to grammar, which can make it easier to break down sentences and learn the meaning of new grammar points in context (though these grammar points are clickable, which will show a popup with the information from the grammar page).
There are additional options to show notes, English translations, and toggle furigana. Each entry also has a corresponding discussion thread in the forum. Like the reading threads in the WaniKani forum, other users will ask questions and help break down some of the more complex points. Reading groups like this can really go a long way for your comprehension.
While these reading sections aren’t perfectly integrated with the rest of the site (which is sort of obvious for how tucked-away they are in the menu), the intent is good. Unfortunately, after conferring with a native Japanese-speaking colleague of mine, we noticed the Japanese used can be a bit strange. It’s not totally clear where these excerpts come from, but I certainly wouldn’t use it as your only source of reading practice.
Integrations
Speaking of integrations, in my mind they’re what take Bunpro to the next level. Of course, it works just fine as a stand-alone application, but the way Bunpro manages to fit into any student’s study routine makes it special. I’ve already mentioned it can act alongside textbook learning, provided you’re studying from one of the textbook-aligned Bunpro Paths or Decks.
You can link your WaniKani account, which will tell Bunpro all the words you already know.
Additionally, you can link your WaniKani account, which will tell Bunpro all the words you already know. This makes it easy to not double-up on review of terms you’re already familiar with and avoids the issue of having two separate SRS intervals or flashcards covering the same items. It also allows you to dynamically show furigana based on your WaniKani level, hiding furigana for any words you don’t know, and only showing them for ones you haven’t studied before.
A Work In Progress
Despite its many positives, Bunpro is clearly a work in progress, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the plus side, they’ve made a number of key updates even just over the past year, such as adding vocabulary study, Paths, reading practice, and more. It’s clear the developers have a lot of passion for this project, and want to make it the best tool it can be, regardless of how you want to use it. But there are some growing pains as well.
On the minor end, Bunpro just doesn’t look that polished in all places. The dashboard has multiple, separate links that lead to the same places, and just generally some jagged edges here and there.
This overlap continues in other places. For instance, all the different methods of accessing the same grammar points. While things seem to be moving towards Decks, there’s some lingering inconsistency that can cause confusion. I love that Bunpro is a tool that can fit anyone’s study goals, but I wish it were a bit more streamlined.
Is It Worth Adding Bunpro to My Study Routine?
Still, what’s here is well worth the cost of admission. I’m a firm believer in reading widely to help cement your understanding of Japanese grammar and vocabulary in context, but even so, everyone has a number of sticking points. Bunpro has made it easy for me to review grammar I either haven’t come across much in the wild or simply continue to make mistakes on.
If you’re still just starting out, Bunpro is a super valuable tool to add the power of SRS and the confidence that you’re making progress in your textbook study routine. I wish I had this when I first started studying Japanese!
That said, the focus is really on self-studiers. There’s no assessment to see what level is appropriate for you, for example. Instead, if you’re not just starting a new textbook or JLPT level from scratch, you have to go through and add the items you want to study to your queue, or mark off the items you already know as learned. Similarly for the reading practice section, which is sorted by level but doesn’t take into account the information Bunpro already knows about your abilities.
While Bunpro isn’t a one-stop shop for all your Japanese study needs, it’s a fantastic companion to make studying grammar easier. From integrating the often-tricky grammar reviews into SRS, to supporting your textbook study, or simply brushing up on grammar points you can’t quite get to stick, Bunpro should be in every Japanese learner’s toolkit.
Ian’s Review
Bunpro is a valuable tool that can fit almost any Japanese learner’s needs. Whether you’re studying for the JLPT, just want to lock in some grammar you’ve studied before, or are a beginner looking to hit the ground running as you study alongside a textbook, Bunpro has got you covered. I applaud the developer’s consistent updates and passion, though there are definitely a few rough edges left along the way. In the past, I’ve found it difficult to review specific grammar points, but Bunpro makes it easy.
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Ian J. Battaglia
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How to Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report
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Your credit report is meant to be an accurate, detailed summary of your financial history — however, mistakes happen more often than you may think.
Whether it’s accounts that don’t actually belong to you or outdated derogatory information that’s still being reported, incorrect information could be bringing your score down unnecessarily.
Read on to learn how to remove erroneous information from your credit report — and some tips on how to handle those negative (but accurate) items that are dragging your score down.
Table of Contents
How to remove negative items from your credit report yourself
First, it’s important to know your rights when it comes to your credit history. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), credit bureaus and lenders must ensure that the information they report is accurate and truthful.
This means that, if you find mistakes in your credit report, you have the legal right to dispute them. And, if the bureaus find that the information you disputed doesn’t belong in your record or is outdated, they are obligated to remove it.
Common credit report errors include payments mistakenly labeled as late or closed accounts still listed as open. It’s also possible for your report to include information from someone else, possibly someone with a similar name, Social Security number or identifying information.
Bear in mind that correct information cannot be removed from your credit report for at least seven years. So, if your score is low due to down because of accurate negative information, you’ll need to repair your credit over time by making payments on time and decreasing your overall amount of debt.
Here are some tips to help you repair your credit history:
1. Get a free copy of your credit report
It’s important to check your credit report frequently — at the very least annually, if not more often — to catch any irregularities early on.
Under federal law, you have the right to obtain a free credit report from all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once a year. However, because of the pandemic, all three bureaus are offering free weekly reports through the end of 2022.
You can request yours through AnnualCreditReport.com, the only free credit report website authorized by the federal government. Make sure to check your reports from all three bureaus since each one can include different information from creditors and lenders.
You can also request them by:
Phone: (877) 322-8228
Mail: Download, print, and complete the request form and mail to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Other ways to get your credit report
In addition to your annual report, you can request additional free copies if:
- You were denied credit, insurance or employment in the past 60 days based on your credit
- There are sudden changes in your credit limit or insurance coverage
- You’re receiving government benefits
- You’re a victim of identity fraud
- You’re unemployed and/or will apply for employment within 60 days from the date of your request
To request additional copies, contact the bureaus directly. Here’s how to do it:
- Experian: Go to this page, select “Request my Credit Report” and follow the prompts. If you don’t qualify for a free copy, you’ll have to pay up to $12, plus tax.
- Equifax: Create a myEquifax account. Once your profile is set up, you can request a copy from your account page.
- Transunion: Create a TransUnion account. You may access your credit report once every 24 hours through your account.
For a more detailed guide on how to request copies, make sure to read our article on how to check your credit report.
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2. File a dispute with the credit reporting agency
Once you have your report, look through each account and see if there are creditors or accounts you don’t recognize. It’s also important to check whether older derogatory items (items that are more than seven years after the original delinquency date) are still being reported.
If you do find errors in your reports, dispute them directly with the reporting bureau through its website or by mail. This will prompt an investigation on the bureau’s part.
Bear in mind that you have to dispute the entry with each agency to make sure the removal is complete across the board.
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How to file a dispute online
Each bureau — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — has a section dedicated to walking consumers through the online dispute process. Once you create an account, you can file as many disputes as you need and check their status for free.
How to file a dispute letter
You can also send a dispute letter to the bureaus detailing any inaccuracies you’ve found in your credit file. When writing your letter, provide documentation that supports your claim and be precise about the information you are challenging. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends enclosing a copy of your report with the error circled or highlighted.
Depending on the information being disputed, these are some of the documents you can provide to help aid the investigation:
- Credit card or bank statements
- Copies of checks
- Letters from lenders certifying mistakes
- Pay stubs
- W-2 forms
- Utility bills
- Proof of identity (birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, for example)
- Police reports (in the case of identity theft)
Mail the letter by certified mail and request a return receipt. This will certify that the reporting agency received the letter, and you will receive a signature as evidence. Keep the certified mail signature, along with copies of your letter and any enclosed documents.
Both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provide free letter templates you can follow.
Dispute letters should be mailed to:
Equifax Information Services, LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
Include this dispute form with your letter.
Experian
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion Consumer Solutions
Consumer Dispute Center
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
Include this dispute form with your letter.
3. File a dispute directly with the creditor
You can also contact the company that provided the information to the bureau in the first place, such as a bank or credit card issuer. Lenders are required to investigate and respond to all disputes.
Remember to include as much documentation as possible to support your claim. Including a copy of your report marking the error is also helpful.
The address you should mail the letter to is usually listed on your report, under the negative item you’d like to dispute. You can also contact the lender directly to verify the mailing address and the documents you should include.
If the lender finds that it was mistaken or cannot prove that the debt actually belongs to you, it will notify the bureau and ask it to update your file.
4. Review the claim results
Reporting agencies and lenders usually take around 30 days to investigate disputes. Once they make a decision, they must notify you within five days of completing their review. The notice will inform you if the disputed item was found to be inaccurate or not.
If the disputed information was, in fact, inaccurate, the bureau must update or delete the item. They should include a free copy of your file if the dispute results in a change.
If the bureau or lender finds that the disputed information isn’t a mistake, you can file an additional claim. Review your initial claim for any errors and correct those. If possible, you should include additional documents to support your request, which can help the bureau evaluate any information it might have missed the first time around.
5. Hire a credit repair service
Disputing errors can be time consuming, especially if your history has several mistakes or if you were a victim of identity theft. Reputable credit repair companies — such as Credit Saint, Lexington Law or Sky Blue — may be viable solutions if your file is riddled with inaccuracies.
Credit repair services can help you dispute inaccurate negative information and handle creditor negotiations. However, if you decide to hire a credit repair agency, remember there are consumer protection laws that regulate how they operate and what they can do. The Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) establishes the following regarding credit repair services:
- They cannot provide false or misleading information concerning a person’s credit status and identification
- They must provide a detailed description of the services they provide
- They cannot charge for their services until they have been completed (although most of them do charge a small initial work fee)
- There must be a written contract detailing the services they’ll provide, the time frame in which these services will be provided and the total cost for them
- They cannot promise to remove truthful information from your record before the term set by law (seven years for most derogatory items, ten years for some bankruptcies)
- You have three days in which to review the contract and cancel without penalty
Before signing up with one of these companies, it’s important to understand what they can and cannot do. For example, any company that promises to remove accurate negative items or create a new credit identity for you is most likely engaging in illegal practices or a scam. Check out our picks for best credit repair companies for more information.
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How to dispute accurate information in your credit report
Accurate items in your record can’t be removed before the term set by law expires, which is seven years for most negative items. For example, if you truly missed payments on your credit card, your dispute to remove that information will be denied. However, the information will automatically fall off your credit report seven years from the time you missed the payments.
If you do have valid negative items on record, here are some things that might help:
1. Send a request for “goodwill deletion”
Writing a goodwill letter can be a viable option for people who are otherwise in good standing with creditors. If you’ve taken steps to pay down your overall debt and have been paying your monthly bills on time, you might be able to convince your creditor to “forgive” the late payment.
While there’s no guarantee that the creditor will delete the derogatory information, this strategy does get results for some. Goodwill letters are most successful for one-off problems, such as a single missed payment. However, they are not effective for debtors with a history of late payments, defaults or collections.
When writing the letter:
- Take responsibility for the issue that lead to the derogatory mark
- Explain why you didn’t pay the account
- If you can, point out good payment history before the incident
2. Work with a credit counseling agency
Several non-profit credit counseling organizations, like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), can help dispute inaccurate information on your record.
The NFCC can provide financial counseling, help review your credit history and help you organize your budget or place you in a debt management plan free of charge. It also offers counseling for homeownership, bankruptcy and foreclosure prevention.
As always, be wary of companies that overpromise, make claims that are “too good to be true” and ask for payment before rendering services.
When looking for a legitimate credit counselor, the FTC advises consumers to check if they have any complaints with:
- Your state’s Attorney General
- Local consumer protection agencies
- The United States Trustee program
3. Negotiate a pay-for-delete
Pay-for-delete is a negotiation strategy in which you offer to pay your debt (partly or in full) and, in exchange, the collection agency agrees to remove the derogatory item from your file. This process is meant to remove negative items that are correctly reported, such as missed credit card payments or loan defaults.
In a nutshell, you would send a letter to the collection agency or creditor notifying them that you’re prepared to pay off the account as long as the information is retracted from your report.
Note that, in most cases, this tactic is a long-shot — collection agencies are not required to respond to your request if the information reported is indeed accurate. If they do, they might send a written offer confirming that they will retract the item and stating their preferred payment methods.
Are pay-for-delete negotiations worth it?
Since collection agencies want to get back as much money as possible, paying the debt may be enough incentive for them to remove the negative entry. However, pay-for-delete is not a dependable solution, and it falls in a legal gray area.
Collection agencies are required by law to report accurate information, just like reporting companies and creditors. While you can certainly request it, a collection agency has the right to refuse your request. They may agree to label the collection as paid (if you did in fact pay it), but they won’t delete the collection entry itself.
Also, note that pay-for-delete agreements might not improve your score. The most recent credit score models (FICO 9 and VantageScore 4.0) don’t factor in paid collection accounts when calculating your score. This means that fully paying the account will have the same effect as negotiating a pay-for-delete. However, bear in mind that unpaid collections will still impact your score.
How to identify errors in your credit report
Common credit report errors
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, these are the most common errors consumers find on their credit history:
Mistaken identity
- Wrong name, address or phone number
- Accounts from someone with a similar name
- New credit accounts opened by someone who stole your identity
Incorrect account status
- Accounts wrongfully labeled as open, past due or delinquent
- Accounts that wrongfully listed you as the owner instead of authorized user
- Wrong date for the last payment received, date the account was opened or delinquency status
- Same debt listed multiple times
Data management
- Information that is not removed, despite already being disputed and corrected
- Accounts that are listed multiple times, with different creditors
Balance
- Incorrect current balance
- Incorrect credit limit
Negative credit report entries that impact your score the most
Most accurate negative items stay in your file for around seven years. Fortunately, their impact diminishes as time goes by, even if they are still listed on the report.
For example, a collection from a few years ago will carry less weight than a recent one — especially if there aren’t any new negative items in your history. Improving your debt management after receiving a derogatory mark can show lenders you’re unlikely to repeat the issue and help increase your score.
These are the most common items that can lower your credit score:
Multiple hard inquiries
Multiple hard credit checks over a short amount of time are a red flag for lenders, as it tells them that you are applying for credit too often and, potentially, being denied.
However, there are some exceptions to this. For example, if you’re looking to buy a home and want to compare interest rates between several lenders, you can. FICO and VantageScore, the two most commonly used credit scoring models, give consumers a window of around 14 to 45 to compare rates — this is known as rate shopping. All credit inquiries done between this period of time will show up on your file as one item.
Delinquency
Payment history is perhaps the most influential factor when calculating credit scores. If you are late for several payment cycles or not paying at all, it will significantly hurt your score. Paying a few days late won’t necessarily impact your score since creditors won’t notify the bureaus immediately. However, if you’re late 30 days or more, it will probably go on your record.
Foreclosure
Foreclosure can also cause a credit score to drop substantially. According to FICO, a score can drop up to 100 points from a foreclosure, depending on the consumer’s starting score. Foreclosures stay on your record for seven years.
Charge-offs
Charge-offs occur when a creditor has stopped expecting a debt to be paid. This can happen if a debt isn’t paid within 180 days — although some creditors could charge off a debt in as little as 90 days. Charge-offs can cause your credit score to drop 100 points or more.
Repossessions
Repossessions can lower your score by around 100 points or more, mainly due to the series of missed payments that lead up to it.
Judgments
If a collection agency or debtor sues you for payment, a court might issue a judgment against you, mandating that you pay the debt in addition to other fees and attorney costs. The impact from a judgment can vary, but it could lower your score by more than 100 points.
Collections
A collection occurs when the original creditor hires an outside firm to collect payment. These fall under payment history, and can easily knock off more than 100 points from your score.
How do errors impact your credit score?
Your credit score is calculated using different models such as VantageScore and FICO, the two most widely used credit-scoring models. Each model has its proprietary metrics and criteria. However, both use data from the major credit reporting agencies to generate your score.
Both scoring models also consider similar factors when calculating your score. These include your total credit usage and length of credit history, for example. But your payment history is the most important factor when determining your credit score.
Your payment history alone makes up around 35% of your FICO score and 42% of your VantageScore 4.0. Since payment history is so significant, a single inaccurate late payment could impact your score considerably. According to FICO, if your report has a 90-day missed payment, your score could drop by as much as 180 points.
How to remove negative items related to identity theft
If you believe you’ve been a victim of identity fraud, you should first file a dispute with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. You should also file a police report.
After you report the incident, make sure to take the following steps:
- Request a copy of your credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com
- Look out for unauthorized transactions or new accounts that don’t belong to you
- Contact the credit bureaus through phone or mail to dispute any credit information that doesn’t belong to you
- Place a security freeze and fraud alert on your credit report
- Contact creditors to close compromised accounts
- Consider subscribing to an identity theft protection or credit monitoring service
The impact of identity theft on your credit report
Identity theft — when someone steals your personal information and uses it to open new financial accounts — can wreak havoc on your credit. These new accounts show up on your credit record and hurt your score, especially if they’re delinquent or if the identity thief applied for several in a short amount of time.
Cleaning up your credit after identity theft can take anywhere from several months to years. The longer it takes you to realize someone stole your identity, the more difficult it will be to undo the damage. This is why keeping a close eye on your report and learning how to protect yourself from identity theft will help you to keep your information safe.
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Avoid the following strategies when trying to repair your credit
While the following methods can be tempting options when trying to repair bad credit, they can often cause more harm than good. Stay away from the following:
Closing a line of credit that is already behind on payments
Closing a card that’s behind on payments doesn’t eliminate the debt. In fact, it can lower your credit score by increasing your debt-to-credit ratio, also known as credit utilization percentage. This ratio represents the amount of credit you’re currently using divided by the total amount of credit you have available.
For example, if you have two credit cards, each with a maximum credit limit of $5,000, your total available credit is $10,000. Owing $3,000 on one card and $2,000 on the other would mean you’re using 50% of your total available credit.
To improve your credit score, experts recommend keeping your credit utilization under 30%. Following the example mentioned above, that would mean using only $3,000 or less per cycle.
If you close one of your credit cards instead of paying it, you’ll have less available credit. Creditors evaluate your debt-to-credit ratio when you apply for new cards or loans. If your ratio is over that threshold, they might classify you as a high-risk borrower, offer you less attractive interest rates or even deny you credit altogether.
Filing for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy should be considered a last resort — it can seriously damage your score and hinder your ability to get loans, mortgages or credit for years after your debts are discharged.
There are two types of bankruptcies available for individuals: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. A third type, Chapter 11, is meant for businesses.
Under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, a court mandates the liquidation of your assets in order to pay your outstanding debt. A trustee is then appointed to review your finances and sell off any additional asset that isn’t protected under bankruptcy exemptions.
With a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, on the other hand, you’re allowed to keep your assets as long as you complete a court-mandated repayment plan meant to pay your highest priority, secured debt.
Impact of bankruptcy on your credit report
Filing for bankruptcy can lower your score by around 200 points or more. It will also negatively impact your chances of getting new lines of credit or loans for several years until your credit history substantially improves.
If you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the derogatory mark will remain on record for up to 10 years; for Chapter 13, it’s seven years.
Credit Report Dispute FAQ
Can you erase bad credit overnight?
The short answer is no. Fixing bad credit is a time-consuming process that often takes months. It involves contacting credit agencies and lenders to dispute inaccurate information, and they can take up to 30 days to respond to your request. They may also ask for more documentation to validate your dispute, further prolonging the process. Additionally, note that accurate negative items cannot be deleted from your report and will remain on your record for at least seven years.
What information can’t be disputed from your credit report?
You can’t dispute accurate information. For example, if you missed some credit card payments or filed for bankruptcy within the last seven years, the information will remain on your record.
How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit report?
Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies stay on file for a period of seven and 10 years, respectively.
How long do hard inquiries stay on your credit report?
Hard inquiries stay on your file for two years. However, they only impact your score for the first 12 months. They have no impact on your score after that point.
Additionally, not all hard inquiries impact credit scores. For example, if you’re comparing loan rates during a short period of time (around 14 days), scoring models will round up all hard inquiries under a single one.How long do late payments stay on your credit report?
Late payments are reflected in your file for around seven years from the original delinquency date — the date of the missed payment.
Summary of Money’s Guide for Getting Negative Items Removed from Your Credit Report
- Order a copy of your credit report through AnnualCreditReport.com and search for inaccurate information, like missed payments or accounts that don’t belong to you.
- You should also notify your bank or credit card issuer. They can help you verify that the information in your report is, in fact, erroneous and notify the bureau.
- Be on the lookout for a response from the bureau. It should arrive in around a month or less. If they accept your dispute, request your credit report again to make sure the negative information was removed.
- If your report is riddled with errors or you’re finding the dispute process difficult, consider hiring a credit repair company.
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Ryan Greeley
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