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World Grand Prix: Jonny Clayton stays on a collision course with fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price

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Raz Mirza

Interviews, Comment & Analysis @RazMirza

Jonny Clayton ends the hopes of Jose de Sousa once again having already beaten him in May’s Premier League final; he stays on course for a showdown with Gerwyn Price on Saturday; the world No 1 headlines the quarter-finals on Thursday night from 7pm on Sky Sports Arena

Last Updated: 07/10/21 12:00am

Jonny Clayton powered his way into the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix for the first time with Welshman remaining firmly on a collision course with fellow countryman Gerwyn Price

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Jonny Clayton powered his way into the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix for the first time with Welshman remaining firmly on a collision course with fellow countryman Gerwyn Price

Jonny Clayton powered his way into the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix for the first time with Welshman remaining firmly on a collision course with fellow countryman Gerwyn Price

A magnificent display from Jonny Clayton put him into the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix for the first time, while there was more Dutch delight for Danny Noppert in Leicester.

Clayton struck with four ton-plus finishes and finished with a 94.95 three-dart average to end the hopes of Jose de Sousa, who was the last remaining seeded player in the bottom half of the draw.

The Premier League champion faces Krzysztof Ratajski next after the Pole continued his excellent year by ending the hopes of Rob Cross.

Danny Noppert took out Vincent van der Voort in an all-Dutch clash to set up a meeting with Ian White, who battled back to defeat Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas.

World Grand Prix 2021: Wednesday’s Second Round Results

Ian White 3-2 Darius Labanauskas
Rob Cross 1-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Danny Noppert 3-0 Vincent van der Voort
Jose de Sousa 1-3 Jonny Clayton

Clayton steals the show

Clayton gave his reaction after defeating Jose de Sousa in a high-quality encounter

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Clayton gave his reaction after defeating Jose de Sousa in a high-quality encounter

Clayton gave his reaction after defeating Jose de Sousa in a high-quality encounter

In a rip-roaring encounter between De Sousa and Clayton, ‘The Special One’ delivered in the deciding leg of the first set to move ahead.

‘The Ferret’ had a dart for the second set, but the Portuguese ace pounced with a 10-dart leg to make it 2-2. However, the Welshman took advantage of some nerves from his opponent to land 70 in two darts for a level game.

Clayton converted three consecutive ton-plus checkouts in his fabulous win

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Clayton converted three consecutive ton-plus checkouts in his fabulous win

Clayton converted three consecutive ton-plus checkouts in his fabulous win

Clayton showed his quality by breaking De Sousa with a 110 checkout (T10, 18, D16) in the second leg of the third set and he took control of the match following a neat ton out.

He then opened the fourth with a spectacular 116 (T20, 20, D18) before making it six consecutive legs and nine out of the last 10 with tops. Although De Sousa stopped the rot, Clayton got the job done with a sensational 112 (T20, 20, D16).

The Welshman completed victory with this classy 112 checkout

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The Welshman completed victory with this classy 112 checkout

The Welshman completed victory with this classy 112 checkout

2017: Players Championship Finals

2018: Grand Slam of Darts

2018: Players Championship Finals

2020: UK Open

2020: European Championship

2021: World Grand Prix

Polish Eagle Ratajski soars into last eight

Krzysztof Ratajski upset Rob Cross to reach the quarter-finals in Leicester

Krzysztof Ratajski upset Rob Cross to reach the quarter-finals in Leicester

Combination finishes of 56, 53 and 51 gave Ratajski a perfect start to his clash, averaging a superb 96 in a dominant display against Cross.

Former world champion Cross bounced back after landing checkouts of 87 and 106 (T20, 14, D16) to sweep through the second set.

Cross claimed the second set with this 106 checkout

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Cross claimed the second set with this 106 checkout

Cross claimed the second set with this 106 checkout

Ratajski, who reached the quarter-finals at the Worlds and semi-finals of the World Matchplay this year, was meticulous on the oche and deadly at the doubles as he won the third set against the darts before sealing victory with double four to make it through to the next stage of the tournament.

Live World Grand Prix Darts

October 7, 2021, 7:00pm

Live on

World Grand Prix 2021: Thursday’s Quarter-Finals

Danny Noppert vs Ian White
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price vs Dave Chisnall
Ryan Searle vs Stephen Bunting

More Dutch delight for Noppert

Van der Voort, making his 10th appearance at the double in-double out event, let slip a 2-0 lead to Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Noppert, who rattled off three straight legs to win a fabulous first set in which he averaged 93.16.

It got even better for ‘The Freeze’ as he opened the next set with an outstanding 130 checkout on the bullseye (20, T20, 50) before landing a quality 101 (20, T19, D12) and he completed a clean sweep with a 62 finish.

Noppert hit a 130 and 101 checkout in consecutive legs against Van der Voort

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Noppert hit a 130 and 101 checkout in consecutive legs against Van der Voort

Noppert hit a 130 and 101 checkout in consecutive legs against Van der Voort

Rapid thrower Van der Voort kept the match alive by sending the third set into a deciding leg, but Noppert stayed composed to hold his throw and pin double 11 for a straight-sets win.

White completes sparkling comeback

Ian White celebrated beating Darius Labanauskas with a Diamond Dab!

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Ian White celebrated beating Darius Labanauskas with a Diamond Dab!

Ian White celebrated beating Darius Labanauskas with a Diamond Dab!

Lithuanian spoiler Labanauskas made a storming start, whitewashing White in the opening set, with ‘Diamond’ averaging a meagre 72.

‘Lucky D’ continued the onslaught by making it six consecutive legs to edge closer to the quarter-finals. But White found his range to win six out of the next eight legs to send the contest into a deciding set shootout.

White sparkled with this brilliant 136 finish which raised the roof in Leicester

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White sparkled with this brilliant 136 finish which raised the roof in Leicester

White sparkled with this brilliant 136 finish which raised the roof in Leicester

Labanauskas stopped the rot by breaking in the opening leg with a neat 90 finish, but White responded with a magnificent 136 (T20, T20, D8) to send the Morningside Arena into a frenzy. He then nailed tops to move one leg from victory, but the 45-year-old sent it the distance after pinning D10.

It was White who completed a stunning comeback, nailing D8 after a dramatic 19-dart leg, with an average of 88.29 and a 45 per cent checkout success rate.

UK Open: 2

World Matchplay: 1

World Grand Prix: 3

European Championship: 1

Grand Slam: 0

Players Championship Finals: 3

World Championship: 1

Join us for live coverage of the World Grand Prix from the Morningside Arena, Leicester throughout the week. Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts

Is Chris Carson playing on Thursday night? Fantasy injury update for Seahawks-Rams Week 5 Thursday Night Football

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Chris Carson (neck) has been on the injury report all week and is officially “questionable” heading into the Seahawks’ Week 5 Thursday Night Football showdown against the Rams. He missed practice all week, and as always, the short week of rest and preparation makes it feel more likely he’ll be inactive. That said, he hasn’t been ruled out yet, so fantasy football owners will be frantically checking for updates prior to making their first start ’em, sit ’em decision of the week.

We’ll continue to update this article with news on Carson up until the official active/inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:50 p.m. ET. For all the latest fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

MORE TNF: FD single-game lineup | Start ’em, sit ’em

Is Chris Carson playing on Thursday night?

Carson was absent from practice Wednesday due to his neck injury and will be a game-time decision for Thursday night. We’ll continue to monitor Carson’s status, but as for now, he’s not trending in the right direction. A neck injury is nothing to play around with, so we’ll likely be at the mercy of a last-second ruling on his availability. There’s also a risk he gets limited work if he does play, so even if he’s active, this is a worrisome situation for Carson fantasy owners.

WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

The Rams are often viewed as a stout front seven led by Aaron Donald, but they’ve been in the bottom half of the league against RBs in fantasy thus far. In PPR leagues, they’ve allowed Giovanni Bernard, David Montgomery, James Conner, and Chase Edmonds to score at least 17.9 fantasy points. So, while on paper they should be great against RBs, they’ve allowed plenty of backs to feed on them (though garbage time is responsible for some of that production). However, they did have success shutting down Jonathon Taylor against a struggling Colts’ offensive line. In our preseason offensive line rankings, Seattle checked in at No. 18 in the league. They’ve played to that level, if not worse. They’re in the bottom 10 in sacks allowed and bottom half of the league in rushing yards despite Russell Wilson bringing his rushing acumen to the table.

WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

All that said, Seattle could be overmatched up front, making this an air attack between Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson. Seattle has attempted just 91 runs this season, seventh-fewest in the NFL. Even if Carson is healthy, he may not be a must-start given all of the risks and concerns.

WEEK 5 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em

If Carson is inactive, Alex Collins figures to be the lead back for Seattle. However, the Seahawks have opted to use a few backs in the past when Carson has been banged up. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas could prevent Collins from having a workhorse role, but we still see Collins as a worthwhile flex after he impressed with 78 total yards and a TD on 12 touches last week.

Reminder: If you do decide to start Carson, make sure he’s in the RB spot rather than the flex spot in your lineup. This will allow you to be more flexible later in the week if unforeseen injuries/Covid-19 complications happen.

FIVB World Tour Finals: A Team goes 0-2, Gibb-Crabb split, Slaes wins | Volleyballmag.com

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Taylor Crabb goes all out against the Latvians/FIVB photo

The FIVB World Tour Finals got under way Wednesday in Cagliari, Italy, with some stunning results as Tokyo Olympics gold-medalists April Ross and Alix Klineman lost twice as pool play began.

Jake Gibb, playing his final tournament, and Trevor Crabb split their two matches, while Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil on their only match.

It sets up likely must-wins for the A Team as pool play continues on Thursday in Sardinia when they play Marta Menegatti and Valentina Gottardi of Italy and later Nina Betschart and Tanja Hüberli of Switzerland.

Gibb and Crabb play Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven Van de Velde of the Netherlands and then Italians Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo. Claes and Sponcil face Sanne Keizer and Madeleine Meppelink of the Netherlands.

Ross and Klineman lost to Russians Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina 22-24, 21-19, 15-10. Then they lost to Germans Julia Side and Karla Borger 22-20, 13-21, 15-8.

Gibb and Crabb swept Latvians Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs 21-19, 21-16. But then they lost to Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner 21-12, 21-16.

Claes and Sponcil beat Olympics Swiss bronze-medalists Anouk Vérgé-Depre and Joana Heidrich 19-21, 21-14, 15-11.

Click here for the complete schedule and more info.

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Alix Klineman pokes over Nadezda Makroguzova of Russia during their opening-round match Wednesday in Italy/FIVB photo

SELF-CONFIDENCE, INCHING TOWARDS DELUSION? || FIGHTHYPE.COM

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There’s more than a fine line between confidence and bat-shit crazy delusion…and Teofimo Lopez is slowly creeping past that line.

In a recent interview with iFL TV, the 24-year-old unified lightweight world champ raised some eyebrows and inspired a lot of scratching of heads with some comments he made or, perhaps more correctly, a tone he took. 

“We had to have these greats,” Lopez told the ever-fawning head honcho at iFL while expanding on his place among the top lightweights in the world. “We had to have Tyson, the [Muhammad] Alis, the Joe Louises, the Willie Peps, the Rocky Marcianos, I mean we had to have all these guys. The list can go on and on. Boxing has been around since the 1800s.

“If anything ever happens to me, shit I’m always going to be good, because I’m with the greats,” Lopez continued. “You know what I’m saying? I’m with the greats. Come at me when you’re with the greats. Come at me when you’re hanging with the greats. When you’re hanging with the greats, then you can come at me sideways. Until then, you can disrespect me all you want, but that ain’t gonna faze me.”

This wasn’t the first time Lopez or someone from his team mentioned him in the same breath as an all-time great. It’s beyond presumptuous for a 24-year-old kid with one elite-level win on his 16-fight resume thus far to be this inflated. And, honestly, his win over Lomachenko was a close one where he seemed to be struggling greatly in the latter half of the contest. This kind of talk may be a beyond-borderline red flag when it comes to how much this young man is starting to be wooed over to delusion by wallowing in his own press clippings and the heavy adulation of fans and yes men in his circle of contacts. 

“I thought by me becoming undisputed lightweight world champion and by doing all these things that people would be motivated by it…but, instead, it made everybody hate me,” Lopez would lament.

“Ain’t no love in this, man,” he would add later on, coming back to his ‘they hatin’ on me’ line of though. “I thought there was so much love in this, but you know what happened? It came down to this…I stood for something while everyone else fell for anything…know what I’m saying?”

Umm…no, Teofimo. We don’t know what you’re saying. As a matter of fact– what the flying fuck ARE you talking about?

Again, this wasn’t the first time Lopez seemed to be inching towards “too big for his britches” self-delusion. Back in March, this writer penned a Fight Hype piece entitled “Slow Your Roll, Teofimo Lopez.” It talked about the way Lopez and his team were burning bridges and stunting Teo’s professional growth by insisting on receiving star treatment so early on in his career and in big fight negotiations (also, by the way, they invoked Muhammad Ali’s name to draw a line between Ali’s fight for self-determination to Teo’s “struggle” to have promoter Top Rank step aside and let video sharing service Triller handle his upcoming fight).

From that article:

“Beating Lomachenko is not a guarantee that Lopez is automatically a superstar. It was merely the first real step in that direction. And, as Lopez emerges out of his bubble, out of that enthusiastic showering of fan love he generated for himself by beating Lomachenko, he may be in for a rude awakening.”

Well, the rude awakening should’ve been sitting his ass for a full year after what should’ve been a mainstream breakthrough victory while the mega-incompetent Triller folks tried to wrap their heads around scheduling and boxing business conflict resolution. 

Now, the IBF mandatory title defense against George Kambosos Jr., which had been eight excruciatingly long months in the non-making, is dead and there will be an even longer career delay while Lopez works to step out of remaining legal entanglements to get a next fight. 

He may still get to the mainstream superstar status he clearly aspires to, but it would’ve been infinitely easier getting there had he struck while the proverbial iron was hot, quickly building buzz off the Lomachenko win. It also would’ve been easier if he wasn’t intent on moving past his top lightweight rivals and flat-out denying Lomachenko a rematch. 

They say pride comes before a fall. And, although Lopez likes to talk about himself as the level-headed throwback to a better time in boxing, he’s been giving every appearance of being someone on the precipice of a humbling tumble.