Defending champion Luke Littler experienced a surprising early exit at the World Grand Prix, bowing out in the opening round after a 2-1 defeat to fellow Englishman Luke Woodhouse in Leicester. The upset came on the same evening that six‑time champion Michael van Gerwen was also knocked out of the competition. Littler managed to capture the first set, but he was nowhere near his usual sharpness. Woodhouse, who had several opportunities to close out the set on a double, missed each one, allowing the match to stretch to a decisive leg.
In the following two sets, Woodhouse found his rhythm and did not look back, securing both sets to deliver one of the most significant surprises in the history of the double‑in, double‑out format. With the victory, Woodhouse will meet former finalist Nathan Aspinall in the second round, after having survived a tight final‑leg showdown against Kevin Doets on the opening night.
Following his unexpected loss, Littler posted a gracious message on Instagram: "Well played @lukewoodly180, it was a good game, good to be a part of as well. Both hit, both missed but Luke took his chance and nice week off now, all the best to Luke for the rest of the tournament." Littler then turned his attention to the Super League Grand Final scheduled for Saturday, a fixture that features his beloved Warrington Wolves and would have conflicted with the Grand Prix semi‑finals. He wrote, "May as well get myself to OT [Old Trafford] now I'm out. Let's go the Wire @warringtonrlfc," indicating his intent to support his rugby league team.
Woodhouse, after his seismic win over Littler, praised his opponent: "Luke's not a robot. He's going to have days and weeks where he's not right on it. But people have echoed it and I'm going to say it again, he's one of a kind, Luke. I hope people will take the time to appreciate how good he is and not give him a hard time.
You might not see another Luke Littler ever again." The night also saw van Gerwen’s aspirations for a seventh Grand Prix title dashed, as he suffered a third consecutive first‑round defeat in the event. Dutch star Ryan Joyce rallied from a set down to overcome the former champion, extending van Gerwen’s recent run of early exits. Welsh representatives Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, the 2020 and 2021 Grand Prix winners respectively, both advanced.
Price delivered the evening’s standout performance, posting an average of 101.61 and dropping only a single leg in a dominant win over Sebastian Bialecki. Clayton, however, faced a stern test from Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, with their match becoming one of six that went the full distance on opening night. Other notable results included Cameron Menzies and Kevin Doets missing match darts in defeats to Ross Smith and Aspinall respectively. Both players had chances to seal two‑set victories: Menzies missed two darts at the treble 20 before Smith swept him 3‑0 in the final set, while Doets squandered three match darts – including a wild miss at the bullseye – before Aspinall clinched the win in a final‑leg decider.
Danny Noppert started his campaign with a blistering run of five straight legs, only to see Niko Springer rally and claim the next three legs to take the second set. The third set returned to a more typical rhythm, with Noppert eventually prevailing. Meanwhile, Wessel Nijman wrapped up the evening with a comfortable 2‑0 victory over Rob Cross and will now face Jonny Clayton in the next round.
Noppert’s next opponent will be Ryan Joyce, the player who eliminated van Gerwen, while Price is set to meet Ross Smith. Smith revealed a harrowing backstory to his first‑round win, explaining that he had been hospitalized just a week before the tournament due to a virus and heart‑related issues. "I've had a week from hell," he said.
"I was in hospital on Friday and thought I was pulling out of this event on Saturday, so to be here is an achievement in itself. Let alone play and win like that, I'm very happy." The second round is slated for Wednesday and Thursday, with quarter‑finals on Friday, semi‑finals on Saturday, and the final on Sunday. Fans can follow day two of the World Grand Prix live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 6 p.m. on Tuesday, with daily coverage continuing through the final.
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