Luke Littler suffered a first-round loss to Rob Cross on his World Grand Prix debut on a dramatic opening night in Leicester, and defending champion Luke Humphries almost suffered the same fate.
The 17-year-old Littler, who had a great start to his professional darts career and won nine titles in 2024, made his first appearance in a double-start event, but lost 2-1 to Cross. 2018 world champion and 4th seed.
Littler tied the match at 1-1 after dropping the first set, but Cross’s efforts showed great determination as he won the next set and hit the bullseye in the winning fourth leg to take the lead. He advanced to the second round and defeated the pre-tournament favorite.
“My performance in this tournament hasn’t been that great, so I’m happy to cross the winning line,” Cross said.
“I struggled in the first set, but then I started to find a rhythm and felt like my throwing was very solid. That gives me confidence for the next few days.”
Humphries overcomes Bunting’s fear
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Luke Humphries flips the match against Stephen Bunting after achieving this 118 checkout
Defending champion Humphries had previously been on the verge of an early exit against the in-form Stephen Bunting, but Bunting won the first five legs against the world number one before hitting a double. I hit it and won the game.
But after “The Bullet” missed the game-clinching double 16, a callous Humphries spectacularly turned the game around.
The world champion won the next three legs, suddenly leveling the score at one set apiece, and then eased away in a decisive third set as Bunting’s challenge petered out.
“These matches are what makes life worth living,” said Humphries, who will face Ricardo Pietrezko for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“Stephen was very unlucky there. He was the better player overall, but I never gave in. That’s the attitude of a true champion.”
“As soon as we won the first leg, we knew we had a chance so we worked incredibly hard to get back into the game.”
Barney yelled at by Pikachu
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Ricardo Pietrezko forgot to start the tournament with a double…
Raymond van Barneveld, the runner-up in 2008-2009, lost 2-1 to Germany and was eliminated in the first round for the second year in a row. Pietrecko.
Van Barneveld wasted four darts to win the first set and then recovered to equalize, but Pietrecko went unresponsive into the third set and won on his double-start debut. .
“Pikachu” will face Humphries in the second round, and Cross will face off against him. martin schindler After the German player defeated Brendan Dolan.
Schindler, a 2023 quarterfinalist, defeated 2011 runner-up Dolan 2-0, hitting three 180s and six of 12 attempts for a finishing double. The decision marked the beginning of the challenge.
Asp wins thriller
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Nathan Aspinall and Ryan Searle battle it out in a dramatic winner-take-all battle
In another epic encounter that night, Nathan Aspinall He advanced to Round 2 after a final leg shootout with Ryan Searle.
“I’m really happy to win after everything I’ve been through over the last few months,” said Aspinall, who was appearing on television for the first time since July.
“The match against Ryan was very tough and the last set proved that, but I am really happy with my performance.”
smith turns on style
ross smith He produced Monday’s opening performance, defeating Jan van Veen in straight sets, averaging 101.79 points, the ninth-best average in World Grand Prix history.
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Guan Van Veen sparks ‘big fish’ in loss to Ross Smith
Van Veen’s only leg came courtesy of a 170 checkout, but Smith was undaunted and wiped out the Dutch debutant, setting up a second round showdown Johnny Clayton.
2021 champion Clayton was also one of the standout performers, with his win over Richie Edhouse kickstarting his bid for his second double-start title.
ryan joyce In his first World Grand Prix appearance since 2020, he advanced in straight sets, defeating Josh Locke at the start of the tournament and winning five straight legs.
What’s happening at Tuesday’s World Grand Prix?
Michael van Gerwen begins his bid for a seventh World Grand Prix title on Tuesday
Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen approaches the end of the first round as he seeks his seventh successful double start with 2017 winner Darryl Gurney.
Michael Smith and Gary Anderson will reignite their rivalry in a repeat World Matchplay first-round showdown, while 2020 champion Gerwyn Price will take on Danny Knoppert.
Two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade will once again engage in a blockbuster battle with 2018 runner-up Peter Wright, while Chris Dobbie and Joe Cullen will clash on the World Grand Prix stage for the second consecutive year.
British Open champion Dimitri van den Bergh will open the match against Luke Woodhouse, while Van den Bergh’s fellow Belgian Mike Dekker will take on Australian No. 1 Damon Heta.
Two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall will start the season opener at Leicester, with the sixth seed facing a tough battle with in-form Cameron Menzies, one of five debutants in the 32-player field. face trials.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched. sky tvstreaming service now The Sky Sports app will give Sky Sports customers access to over 50% more live sport at no extra cost this year. Click here for more information.
