2024 World Grand Prix Darts: Day One Results, Luke Littler OUT

Luke Humphries began his title defence at the 2024 World Grand Prix, marking the first time in his career he has entered a televised ranking tournament as the reigning champion.

Meanwhile, teenage sensation Luke Littler made his highly anticipated debut, facing a challenging first-round match against seeded contender Rob Cross. 

Each clash on the opening night followed the tournament’s distinctive 'double in, double out' format, with players battling in a race to two sets, showcasing the unique thrill that defines the World Grand Prix.

Northern Ireland’s top-ranked player, Josh Rock, entered the tournament as the heavy favourite in the opening match, but it wasn’t to be his night. 

‘Rocky’ struggled to hit his doubles, missing crucial shots in all five legs of the first set, allowing Ryan Joyce to snatch an unlikely 1-0 lead. 

Rock's frustration was evident as he failed to recover in the second set, with Joyce completing a clinical 3-0 whitewash in legs to seal a 2-0 sets victory and advance to the second round for the second time in his career.

Germany’s number one, Martin Schindler, entered the World Grand Prix in red-hot form, fresh off his second European Tour title of the season in Switzerland. However, he faced a tough opponent in Brendan Dolan, the ‘History Maker’ known for hitting the first-ever televised ‘double in’ nine-darter at this very event back in 2011.

Schindler carried his momentum into the opening set, dominating Dolan without allowing him a single shot at a double, sweeping the Northern Irishman three legs to nil. 

In the next set, Schindler almost faltered, missing three match darts giving Dolan a glimmer of hope. 

Although, the German quickly regrouped in the deciding leg, though, sealing victory with a clinical 49 checkout to book his place in the next round.

Image credit: PDC

Former World Grand Prix champion Jonny Clayton took to the stage next, facing tournament debutant Ritchie ‘Madhouse’ Edhouse. 

The match proved to be the highest-quality contest of the night, with Clayton delivering a strong performance, averaging nearly 94 over three darts, an impressive feat in the challenging ‘double in, double out’ format.

Despite Edhouse putting up a fight and winning three legs along the way, the Welshman’s experience and precision saw him secure a 2-0 victory on sets, advancing comfortably to the next round.

Nathan Aspinall made his return to televised ranking events for the first time since the World Matchplay in Blackpool, following time off after surgery, facing Ryan Searle. 

The pair traded sets, pushing the match into a deciding third set, the first of the evening. While Aspinall had the statistical edge throughout, Searle refused to back down.

With the score tied at two sets and two legs apiece, it came down to a one-leg shootout for a spot in the next round. 

Aspinall thrilled the crowd with a near-perfect leg, narrowly missing a nine-darter after failing to hit treble 19 on the eighth dart, but he swiftly closed out the match, winning the leg in 12 darts. 

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Darts legend Raymond van Barneveld returned to the World Grand Prix stage, seeking his first win at the tournament since 2018. Standing in his way was stage debutant Ricardo ‘Pikachu’ Pietreczko. 

Van Barneveld squandered multiple opportunities in the first set, handing Pietreczko an early 1-0 lead. Though the five-time world champion managed to rally and level the match by taking the second set, he couldn’t sustain the momentum. 

Pietreczko cruised through the deciding third set, facing little resistance, to secure a memorable debut victory on the Leicester stage. 

Unfortunately for Barney, he never quite found his vintage form, with Pietreczko doing just enough to get past the Dutch icon.

Luke Humphries stepped up to begin his title defence, facing a formidable challenge in reigning Masters champion and fan favourite Stephen Bunting. 

Humphries, the world number one, found himself in serious trouble early on as Bunting stormed to a 3-0 whitewash in the first set, highlighted by a stunning 115 checkout.

Astonishingly, Humphries was on the brink of elimination, going two legs down in the second set. Bunting had a dart at double 16 to finish off what seemed like a demolition job, but missed, allowing Humphries to claim his first leg of the match.

From there, the tide began to turn. Humphries swiftly took the next two legs to level the match at 1-1, completing an extraordinary recovery when he looked down and out. 

He then showcased why he’s regarded as the best in the world, sealing a remarkable comeback by dominating the final set to advance in style.

Image credit: PDC

Teenage sensation Luke Littler was set to make his World Grand Prix debut against Rob Cross, the player he defeated in the World Darts Championship semi-final earlier this year. 

Despite hitting four 180s in the opening set, Littler found himself 1-0 down after struggling to hit the crucial ‘double in.’

The 17-year-old maintained his high scoring and managed to level the match with a set of his own, but Cross stayed close on his heels throughout the contest. 

Ultimately, Cross proved too resilient for the young wonderkid, delivering the first upset of the tournament by knocking out Littler, who entered as the bookmakers' favourite. 

Many fans believed the tournament's format would favour the teenager, but Littler’s decision to start on double 20 instead of his preferred double 10 would prove to be a costly misstep.

Image credit: PDC