Names of banned coaches will be found online but removed when a punishment has been served; the “Reform ’25” action plan comes as a result of complaints and findings published in June’s Whyte Review into misconduct within gymnastics
By Rob Harris, Sky News sports correspondent
Last Updated: 18/10/22 3:06pm
British Gymnastic has launched an action plan to create “safe, positive and fair experiences” for gymnasts
British Gymnastics will name coaches who have been banned as part of a response to an investigation exposing the sport’s abusive culture.
A 40-point “Reform ’25” action plan is intended by the governing body to create “safe, positive and fair experiences” for gymnasts.
It follows more than 400 complaints to the Whyte Review that was published in June and found young gymnasts in Britain had been left humiliated, shamed and permanently psychologically or physically damaged.
A challenge for gymnastics officials is determining the proportionality of sanctions based on the scale of misconduct – from sexual and physical abuse to bullying and malnutrition.
While British Gymnastics will publish lists of banned coaches online, their names will be removed once a punishment has been served.
It leaves open the possibility of coaches returning to the sport with athletes and any guardians never knowing about past misconduct.
British Gymnastics CEO Sarah Powell told Sky News:“I think we would have to be really convinced about why somebody had been banned, and then will come back into the sport. I don’t know until I look at the determinations of those outcomes.”
British Gymnastics will publish lists of banned coaches online, although names will be removed once a punishment has been served
Coaches who are suspended pending the outcome of an investigation will also not be named – opening up the possibility of them working in other countries in another sport.
The aspiration to improve welfare, safeguarding and complaints is for “zero tolerance of abuse – whether that be emotional, physical or sexual” and more specialist staff to handle complaints.
On the education priorities, Reform ’25 highlights the need for “a cultural understanding that creating a fear of coaches has no place in gymnastics”.
There are concerns that British sport has developed a medals over morals culture, but the action plan states there should be a “recognition that striving for and achieving success is not the same thing as wellbeing”.
British Gymnastics wants the reforms implemented by 2025 – a year after the next Olympics in Paris – but with regular progress updates on the progress in improving the environment that is focused on high-performance while eradicating risks.
Powell said: “The key for us is to make sure that those who’ve been affected, we acknowledge the failings of the past, and we make sure we set out a new direction for the future.
“The reforms that we’re putting in place today will ensure that this sport can be a safe, positive experience for all involved.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Ohanian called out the need for a safe work environment in the National Women’s Soccer League while receiving the Champions for Equality Award at the annual Salute to Women in Sports event on Wednesday night.
The former executive chairman of Reddit is a founding investor of the newest women’s professional soccer team, Angel City FC in Los Angeles. He was accompanied by his wife Serena Williams and daughter Olympia.
“As a club owner, as a husband and as a father, I have been disgusted by what’s been brought to light as part of this ongoing investigation,” he said. “I’m hopeful it will lead to necessary reform.”
He praised the players in the NWSL who are demanding accountability and changes after last week’s report from an independent investigation highlighted systemic sexual misconduct and emotional abuse. The investigation detailed administrative reporting failures in the sport, impacting several teams, coaches and executives in the league.
“It’s to their strength, their bravery and their courage that we’re going to get a better NWSL,” Ohanian said to cheers at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s event in Manhattan.
Five of the 10 head coaches in the NWSL either were fired or stepped down last season amid allegations of misconduct. Two owners have recently stepped away from their teams.
Ohanian said he watched the U.S. women win the 2019 World Cup and mused about how Olympia might someday play in a World Cup: “Serena said, without missing a beat, ‘Not until they pay her what she’s worth.’”
Ohanian is part of the majority-female Angel City FC ownership group that includes Williams, Natalie Portman, Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, America Ferrera, Uzo Aduba, Candace Parker and Billie Jean King, among others.
Foudy, a two-time U.S. World Cup champion, said rigorous guidelines are needed to combat sexual misconduct and it would “absolutely” help to have more female owners and female coaches in the NWSL.
“The change of mindset in Angel City and that ownership group … is remarkable to see,” she said. “You don’t have to spend so much time expending energy about why you should support these women. They get it. The Angel City refrain I always get is: ’What’s possible?’”
Olympic gold medalists Sunisa Lee in gymnastics and Maggie Steffens in water polo were also honored as Sportswomen of the Year at the awards dinner, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley received the Billie Jean King Leadership Award. Staley not only led the U.S. women’s basketball team to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics but also guided South Carolina to its second NCAA title in five years in April. Staley is the first Black coach to win two NCAA Division I basketball championships.
Bobsledder Elena Meyers Taylor, the most decorated Black athlete at the winter Olympics with five medals, was given the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. She accepted the award with her young son, Nico, at her side. Meyers Taylor won her most recent medal despite having COVID-19 at the Beijing Olympics.
“I’m inspired by this remarkable group of honorees, who are breaking records, eliminating barriers and blazing a path for a brighter future in and out of sports for girls and women,” said King, who in 1974 created the Women’s Sports Foundation, which provides community sports programs and training grants.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Daniil Medvedev is an example of Tecnifibre’s grassroots growth. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty … [+] Images)
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For a healthy stretch of 2022, French tennis brand Tecnifibre put a racket in the hand of both the top-ranked male, Daniil Medvedev, and the top-ranked female, Iga Swiatek. Exposure like that has helped Tecnifibre on its path to doubling in size this year.
Known first for its tennis strings, rackets have become a major part of Tecnifibre, now owned by Lacoste. And the rise of rackets happens to coincide with the rise of Medvedev, making the TFight the most popular racket the company sells.
The Medvedev Connection
Medvedev started using the product in 2017, when he was ranked outside the top 300. Practicing in France with a coach connected to the company, he was presented with the opportunity to give the rackets a shot. “I said let’s try it,” Medvedev says. “I was spontaneous in a way. My first two tournaments didn’t go that well and I was doubting, and then I went from 330 to 99 (in the world), so I was like ‘this is an amazing racket.’ I thought it was strange that not that many players were using this racket, but the racket is amazing. Since that moment, a lot more players are playing with it, and I hope I contributed a little to the growth of the company.”
Early on, Medvedev entered the brand’s Young Guns program, a competition between players to earn $50,000. It was a competition that Medvedev won. “That $50,000 was quite a good find, it was amazing,” he says. “That was one of the biggest helps I have ever gotten as a junior from anybody.”
Daniil Medvedev is sponsored by Lacoste-owned Tecnifibre for rackets and Lacoste for apparel and … [+] footwear.
Tecnifibre
The former No. 1 and 2021 U.S. Open champion went on to sign with Lacoste in 2019, giving him a truly exclusive deal with two separate brands under the same umbrella. But it started with Tecnifibre. “We grew up together, in a way,” he says, “me in terms of rankings and Tecnifibre in terms of a company. I only wish growth for both of us.”
The Tecnifibre Growth
Tecnifibre expects to double in sales this year. It will do so largely on the back of doubling the number of rackets sold. Marco Baron, Tecnifibre North American CEO, says as a premium provider of tennis products, Tecnifbre isn’t about chasing a variety of markets, but remains clearly defined on a certain segment.
“You will not see us selling balls in WalMart,” he says. “Do we need products at certain price points to bring people in? Absolutely, but we are very clear on our channels and remain on the specialty and club side. We will absolutely remain a premium brand focusing on that segment.”
Iga Świątek has a signature racket with Tecnifibre.
Tecnifibre
Already popular in France and western Europe, Baron sees the United States and Japan as the two markets where the brand has untapped potential for growth. In some regions, Tecnifibre has climbed to number-four in terms of racket sales and Baron says it is a realistic goal to get there across the board.
While the Tecnifibre focus on premium means they will likely remain behind the sport’s big three sellers—Babolat, Wilson and Head—because they don’t plan to ever enter the mass market segment, seeing the brand triple in size in the U.S. in the last year alone gives Baron reason to believe they can earn that fourth spot. “Becoming that fourth brand is a logical next step,” he says.
Tennis strings have long been a key component for the brand, but the rise of rackets behind the TFight made popular by Medvedev (Swiatek plays with a signature Tempo frame) means that strings and rackets combine for 80% of the brand’s tennis growth, even if the number of bags sold continues to increase.
The Growth Strategy
Tecnifibre is the biggest player in the squash market. While a much smaller space than tennis, the brand borrowed the same game plan, focusing on three different areas of sports marketing, product innovation and talented staff to build a successful story.
Tecnifibre has placed a focus on grassroots tennis, just like it did in squash, putting sponsorship efforts at the club and academy level “to pick up the best juniors and service accounts for any kind of level.” Whether for the elite players, the juniors or the general club players, Baron says they’ve been focused on them all to build exposure.
Daniil Medvedev has served as one of the key faces of the Tecnifibre brand.
Tecnifibre
Of course, the sports marketing arm really took off behind Medvedev and Swiatek, inviting brand exposure in a real hurry, giving the “brand the awareness it needed, the credibility it needed.”
But even Medvedev provides an example of that grassroots effort, with Tecnifibre working with him as a junior and part of the Young Guns program. “Over the years, there’s been exceptional work being done at the grassroots level and (we are) getting the benefit of that,” Baron says. “Daniil is an example of that. There are a lot of really good juniors on the boy’s side and the girl’s side with our product. It takes time for those folks to get to that level, but that has been a core strategy.”
For it all to work, Baron says they need quality product to back it up. The TFight series is the flagship racket for the brand, but Baron says the new TF-X1 will soon become the best-seller for Tecnifibre. “It is a performance racket,” he says, “but players can play with it more easily.”
To continue growth, Baron says it isn’t a matter of creating a ton of new products but building key segments for players of all needs and genders. “We don’t want a multiplication of SKUs to deal with, but we want to make sure anybody who wants to play tennis has a racket they can feel like they can play with,” he says. “The TFight is the one most adopted because the brand started with it, but the TF-X1 launched last year, and we oversold. We couldn’t supply it.”
Whether upcoming tennis string innovation, a relaunch of the TF-X1 with a more robust distribution model or the continued support of grassroots tennis, Baron says Tecnifibre is carving a unique place in the industry. “From the look and feel, from the story, from the athletes we have, they all play a specific role,” Baron says. “It is a very healthy place to be.”
For Medvedev, he’s ready to see it all continue, saying, “I hope to conquer the world together.”
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In episode four of Aquaphobia we hear travel around the country to get the experiences of different water sports and hear from a double Olympic water polo champion in the United States
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
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Watch the top checkouts from semi-finals night at the World Grand Prix in Leicester as Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen reached the final
Watch the top checkouts from semi-finals night at the World Grand Prix in Leicester as Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen reached the final
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
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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.
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios will apply to have an assault charge dismissed on mental health grounds, his lawyer told an Australian court on Tuesday.
Lawyer Michael Kukulies-Smith appeared on behalf of Kyrgios in a court in the tennis star’s hometown of Canberra and asked for an adjournment so forensic mental health reports could be prepared.
Magistrate Glenn Theakston adjourned the case until Feb. 3, when Kyrgios’ lawyers are expected to apply to have the charge dismissed under a section of the local crimes law.
The 27-year-old Australian tennis star will appear in court in person on that date for the first time since he was charged by police by summons in July.
The law gives magistrates the power to dismiss a charge if they are satisfied an accused person is mentally impaired, and dealing with an allegation in that way would benefit the community and the defendant.
The common assault charge, which has a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison, relates to an incident in January 2021 that was reported to local police last December.
The charge reportedly relates to an incident involving his former girlfriend.
Kukulies-Smith told the court his client’s mental health history since 2015 made the application appropriate, citing a number of public statements made by Kyrgios.
In February, Kyrgios opened up about his performance at the 2019 Australian Open, saying what appeared to be a positive time in his life had been “one of my darkest periods.”
“I was lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, drugs, pushed away family and friends,” he wrote on Instagram. “I felt as if I couldn’t talk or trust anyone. This was a result of not opening up and refusing to lean on my loved ones and simply just push myself little by little to be positive.”
Kyrgios made further references to his mental health struggles during his runs to the final at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
After ending Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open title defense last month to reach the quarterfinals, Kyrgios expressed pride at lifting himself out of “some really tough situations, mentally” and “some really scary places” off the court.
Theakston questioned whether Kyrgios would need to appear in court for the February hearing, but Kukulies-Smith said his client wanted to attend.
Kyrgios was scheduled to play at the Japan Open later Tuesday against Tseng Chun-hsin of Taiwan.
Speaking in Tokyo before his matter returned to court, Kyrgios said it was “not difficult at all” to focus on tennis despite the pending charge.
“There’s only so much I can control and I’m taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court,” he told reporters. “I can only do what I can and I’m here in Tokyo and just trying to play some good tennis, continue that momentum and just try to do my job.”
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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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
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Check out the best action from Day 2 of the World Grand Prix in Leicester
Check out the best action from Day 2 of the World Grand Prix in Leicester
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Live on
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.
