CHRIS Dobey is looking for Grand Slam revenge when he takes on James Wade in the last 16 on Wednesday night.

Dobey was hammered 16-5 by Wade in the quarter finals in his debut appearance at the Grand Slam in 2016 and only qualified once for the tournament in the six years that followed, when he was knocked out of his group in 2021.

But he's in the knockout stages this year at Wolverhampton after recovering from defeat to Josh Rock to battle his way through a tough group, booking his spot in the last 16 with a hard-fought win over Jonny Clayton on Monday night.

Now, he'll face Wade, who knocked out defending World and Grand Slam champion and world number one Michael Smith to secure his place in the knockout phase.

Dobey said: "I knew it was going to be a tough battle, especially playing a good friend like Jonny.

"I missed so many darts at double and Jonny punished me, but I'm just delighted to get through that one. The opening two games were a struggle, so I'm pleased to have put in a performance.

"I owe James [Wade] one after he thrashed me in my first appearance here, but I think the longer format suits me, and I'll be ready for that."

After sending Smith packing, Wade said: “I’m James Wade and I do what I do.

“I think I dealt with the pressure better than Michael did. I didn’t play particularly well, but I was a little bit better than somebody who was nowhere near their best.

“Michael had a lot of misfortune, but I know how good I am, I know what I am capable of, and I believe I will be back in the top ten in two years’ time.”

Dobey, from Bedlington, is currently 18th in the PDC Order of Merit with this year's World Championships fast approaching. It's been a memorable year for the Geordie, who kicked off 2023 by celebrating his first major victory at the Masters, which earned him a place in the Premier League.

He also joined the hugely respected Target stable in September and said: "I want a couple more titles on the floor but why not another major? I'm a big believer in my game and feel I have the ability to win every competition I play in. I'll keep fighting and playing my darts and hopefully I can go up in the rankings."