World Grand Prix: Luke Littler loses to Rob Cross on tournament debut as Luke Humphries rallies past Stephen Bunting

Luke Littler suffered a first-round exit to 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, the 17-year-old who has won nine titles in as many months in 2024 amid a stunning start to his professional darts career, was appearing for the first time in the double-start event but lost 2-1 to Cross, the 2018 world champion and No 4 seed.

Littler levelled the match at 1-1 after losing the first set but a battling Cross impressively held his nerve and won the next set, finishing on the bullseye in his triumphant fourth leg to progress to round two and knock the pre-tournament favourite out.

Earlier Humphries, the defending champion, had been on the verge of an early exit himself against an in-form Stephen Bunting, who won the first five legs against the world No 1 and then had a shot at a double to win the match.

But after ‘The Bullet’ missed the match-winning double 16, Humphries spectacularly turned the match around.

The world champion won the next three legs to suddenly level the match at one set apiece and then eased away in the deciding third as Bunting’s challenge slowly faded.

Raymond van Barneveld, the 2008-2009 runner-up, meanwhile lost in the first round for the second successive year in a 2-1 defeat to Ricardo Pietreczko.

‘Pikachu’ will now play Humphries in round two.

In the night’s other epic encounter, Nathan Aspinall progressed to round two after a last-leg shootout against Ryan Searle.

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What’s happening Tuesday at the World Grand Prix?

The first round will draw to a close, as six-time champion Michael van Gerwen continues his bid for a seventh double-start success against 2017 winner Daryl Gurney.

Michael Smith and Gary Anderson renew their rivalry in a repeat of their first-round showdown at the World Matchplay, while 2020 champion Gerwyn Price enters the fray against Danny Noppert.

Two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade plays 2018 runner-up Peter Wright in another blockbuster battle, as Chris Dobey and Joe Cullen collide on the World Grand Prix stage for a second straight year.

UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh kicks off his campaign against Luke Woodhouse, with Van den Bergh’s fellow Belgian Mike De Decker pitted against Australian No 1 Damon Heta.

Two-time runner-up Dave Chisnall will open the show in Leicester, and the sixth seed faces a tough test against an in-form Cameron Menzies – one of five debutants in the 32-player field.

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