Not many would have predicted that Mickey Mansell and Martin Lukeman would reach the semifinals, where one of them will later play in the final of the Grand Slam of Darts 2024. But this is now a fact, as lower-ranked players continue to surprise their way through the tournament.
Already in the group stage, several pre-tournament favorites were eliminated, and even more fell during the round of 16. As a result, heading into the quarterfinals, Rob Cross was the only player remaining from the top eight seeds. Rob Cross, ranked 4th in the world, faced Martin Lukeman in his quarterfinal, and not many thought Lukeman could topple Cross—especially since the match was played as best-of-31 legs. However, as has happened several times in the Grand Slam of Darts 2024, the favorites could not handle the pressure.
Even though Rob Cross started the match strongest and quickly took a 5-1 lead, he fell apart afterward. Lukeman won no fewer than seven consecutive legs, turning the match around to lead 8-5. Cross fought back and tied the score at 10-10, but Lukeman pulled away again and eventually won the match comfortably 16-11.
The victory means that Martin Lukeman has reached the semifinals of a major televised PDC event for the first time ever, and his opponent in the semifinal, Mickey Mansell, is writing a similar story in this tournament.
Mickey Mansell, who had never before come close to even a quarterfinal in a major PDC event, is now in the semifinal of the Grand Slam of Darts. This came after he defeated Cameron Menzies 16-15 in an incredibly close and thrilling match. Mansell, who had already shocked Danny Noppert in the round of 16 and finished ahead of Luke Humphries in the group stage, claimed yet another surprise victory.
However, in the match against Menzies, Mansell looked like a beaten man for much of the time, constantly trailing. It wasn’t until the score reached 11-10 in Mansell’s favor that he took the lead for the first time. Mansell and Menzies stayed neck-and-neck until the end, but Mansell ultimately won 16-15, thanks largely to his many 180s throughout the match. He finished with a total of 11 180s, compared to Menzies’ two.
Tomorrow, Saturday, November 16, the remaining quarterfinals will be played between:
- Jermaine Wattimena vs. Luke Littler
- Gian van Veen vs. Gary Anderson
The semifinals and final will take place on Sunday, November 17, where it is already confirmed that Mickey Mansell and Martin Lukeman will face each other in one semifinal, while the winners of Wattimena/Littler and van Veen/Anderson will meet in the other.
