Luke Littler suffered a first-round exit from Rob Cross on his World Grand Prix debut on a dramatic opening night in Leicester that saw defending champion Luke Humphries almost experience the same fate.
Littler, 17, who has won nine titles in as many months in 2024 in a remarkable start to his professional darts career, was competing in a double start event for the first time but lost 2-1 to Cross. 2018 World Champion and #4 seed.
Littler leveled the match at 1-1 after losing the first set, but Kroos held his nerve impressively to win the next set, finishing off the Bullseye in the victorious fourth leg to advance to the second round and beat the pre-tournament champions .
Humphries, previously the defending champion, was on the verge of an early exit against a poor Stephen Bunting. Stephen Bunting hit a double to win the game after winning the first five games against the world No. 1.
But after ‘The Bullet’ missed double 16, Humphries turned the match around dramatically.
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Bunting stunned Humphries with a checkout of 115 to take control of the opening set.
The world champion won the next three games to suddenly level at one set apiece and then relaxed in the decisive third as Bunting’s challenge faded away.
2008-2009 runner-up Raymond van Barneveld lost in the first round for the second year in a row, losing 2-1 to Ricardo Pietreczko.
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Ricardo Pietreczko forgot to start with a double at the World Grand Prix.
Now ‘Pikachu’ will face Humphreys in the second round.
In another epic encounter of the night, Nathan Aspinall advanced to the second round after a last-gasp penalty shoot-out against Ryan Searle.
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What’s happening at the World Grand Prix on Tuesday?
Michael van Gerwen attempts to win his seventh World Grand Prix title.
The first round concludes as six-time champion Michael van Gerwen continues his bid for his seventh double start against 2017 winner Daryl Gurney.
Michael Smith and Gary Anderson renew their rivalry in a first round clash at World Matchplay, while 2020 champion Gerwyn Price takes on Danny Noppert. We enter into a confrontation with.
Two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade plays 2018 runner-up Peter Wright in another blockbuster battle. Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen clash on the World Grand Prix stage for the second year in a row.
UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh begins his campaign against Luke Woodhouse, while Van den Bergh’s fellow Belgian Mike De Decker takes on Australian no. 1 Played against Damon Heta.
Two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall will be set to put on a show in Leicester, while the sixth seed faces a tough test against the talented Cameron Menzies, one of five debutants in the 32-man field.
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