Luke Littler, the defending World Grand Prix champion, just got absolutely floored in a shock first-round exit by Luke Woodhouse in Leicester. This was not the bounce-back the 19-year-old phenom was looking for after his quarter-final exit at the World Series of Darts Finals just over a week ago.
Below Par Performance Dooms Littler
Despite taking the first set, Littler was distinctly below par throughout the best-of-three encounter. His average for the match clocked in at a dismal 82.41. That allowed Woodhouse to seize the moment, leveling the match and then delivering a crushing checkout of 75 to win the deciding set 3-1 in legs. It was a brutal watch for anyone hoping to see Littler go deep and defend his title.
The Knockout Stage Is Already Wild
The drama wasn’t just limited to Littler’s early exit. Earlier on Monday, six-time winner Michael van Gerwen also got knocked out, losing five out of the last six legs as 2024 semi-finalist Ryan Joyce fought back to win 2-1. England’s Joyce will now face Danny Noppert, who beat Niko Springer by the same score. Welshman Gerwyn Price, however, had no such trouble, only losing a single leg as he comfortably beat Sebastian Bialecki 2-0. Price sets up a meeting with Ross Smith, who came from behind to triumph 2-1 against Cameron Menzies. Jonny Clayton also edged past Krzysztof Ratajski 2-1 and will take on Wessel Nijman, who overcame 2018 world champion Rob Cross in straight sets.
This tournament is already absolutely bonkers! Woodhouse now faces Nathan Aspinall, the 2022 runner-up, in the last 16. With giants like Littler and van Gerwen already out, this World Grand Prix just got REAL interesting. Anything can happen next, and you absolutely do not want to miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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