{"id":36977,"date":"2024-10-07T20:10:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T00:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/world-grand-prix-luke-littler-loses-to-rob-cross-on-tournament-debut-as-luke-humphries-rallies-past-stephen-bunting-darts-news\/07\/10\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T20:10:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T00:10:55","slug":"world-grand-prix-luke-littler-loses-to-rob-cross-on-tournament-debut-as-luke-humphries-rallies-past-stephen-bunting-darts-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/world-grand-prix-luke-littler-loses-to-rob-cross-on-tournament-debut-as-luke-humphries-rallies-past-stephen-bunting-darts-news\/07\/10\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"World Grand Prix: Luke Littler loses to Rob Cross on tournament debut as Luke Humphries rallies past Stephen Bunting | Darts News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Rob Cross knocked out Luke Littler with an 88 finish on the bullseye at the World Grand Prix<\/span>
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“My record in this tournament isn’t great, so I’m delighted to get over that winning line,” said Cross.<\/p>\n

“I struggled in the first set, but then I started to find my rhythm and I felt very solid on my own throw, which gives me confidence for the next few days.”<\/p>\n

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Monday’s World Grand Prix results<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n <\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Josh Rock<\/td>\n0-2<\/td>\nRyan Joyce<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brendan Dolan<\/td>\n0-2<\/td>\nMartin Schindler<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jonny Clayton<\/td>\n2-0<\/td>\nRitchie Edhouse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nathan Aspinall<\/td>\n2-1<\/td>\nRyan Searle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Raymond van Barneveld<\/td>\n1-2<\/td>\nRicardo Pietreczko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luke Humphries<\/td>\n2-1<\/td>\nStephen Bunting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rob Cross<\/td>\n2-1<\/td>\nLuke Littler<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gian van Veen<\/td>\n0-2<\/td>\nRoss Smith<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Humphries survives Bunting scare<\/h3>\n
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Luke Humphries turned the match around against Stephen Bunting after hitting this 118 checkout<\/span>
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Earlier Humphries, the defending champion, had been on the verge of a shock 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.<\/p>\n

But after ‘The Bullet’ missed the match-winning double 16, a nerveless Humphries spectacularly turned the match around.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“These are the games you live for,” said Humphries, who will play Ricardo Pietreczko for a place in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n

“Stephen was very unlucky there. He was the better player overall, but I never gave in, and that is a true champion’s attitude.<\/p>\n

“As soon as I won the first leg, I knew the opportunity was there, and I worked incredibly hard to get myself back into the game.”<\/p>\n

Barney rumbled by Pikachu<\/h3>\n
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Ricardo Pietreczko forgot to start with a double at the tournament…<\/span>
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Raymond van Barneveld, the 2008-2009 runner-up, lost in the first round for the second successive year in a 2-1 defeat to German Pietreczko<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Van Barneveld squandered four darts to win the opening set, and although he recovered to level the contest, Pietreczko stormed to set three without reply to triumph on his double-start debut.<\/p>\n

‘Pikachu’ will now play Humphries in round two, while Cross faces Martin Schindler <\/strong>after the German player beat Brendan Dolan.<\/p>\n

Schindler – a quarter-finalist in 2023 – opened his challenge with a 2-0 victory over 2011 runner-up Dolan, landing three 180s and converting six of his 12 attempts at a finishing double.<\/p>\n

The Asp wins a thriller<\/h3>\n
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Nathan Aspinall and Ryan Searle fought it out in a dramatic winner-takes-all leg<\/span>
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In the night’s other epic encounter, Nathan Aspinall<\/strong> progressed to round two after a last-leg shootout against Ryan Searle.<\/p>\n

“I’m just so happy to win after everything I’ve been through over the last few months,” said Aspinall, who was making his first televised appearance since July.<\/p>\n

“I had a very tough game against Ryan and that last set proved it, but I’m really happy with the way I performed.”<\/p>\n

Smith turns on the style<\/h3>\n

Ross Smith<\/strong> produced the performance of Monday’s opening night in his straight-sets demolition of Gian van Veen, averaging 101.79 to cap off an outstanding display – the ninth best average in World Grand Prix history.<\/p>\n

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Guan van Veen reeled in ‘The Big Fish’ during his defeat against Ross Smith<\/span>
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Van Veen’s solitary leg came courtesy of a 170 checkout, but Smith was undeterred, sweeping aside the Dutch debutant to set up a second-round showdown against Jonny Clayton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Clayton, the 2021 champion, was also one of the stand-out performers, kicking off his bid for a second double-start title with victory over Ritchie Edhouse.<\/p>\n

Ryan Joyce<\/strong> progressed in straight sets on his first World Grand Prix appearance since 2020, winning five straight legs to overcome Josh Rock in the tournament’s curtain-raiser.<\/p>\n

What’s happening Tuesday at the World Grand Prix?<\/h3>\n
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\n Michael van Gerwen opens his bid to claim a seventh World Grand Prix title on Tuesday
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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Tuesday’s World Grand Prix fixtures from 6pm on Sky Sports<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n <\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dave Chisnall<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nCameron Menzies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Luke Woodhouse<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nDimitri Van den Bergh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mike De Decker<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nDamon Heta<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peter Wright<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nJames Wade<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gerwyn Price<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nDanny Noppert<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Michael Smith<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nGary Anderson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Michael van Gerwen<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nDaryl Gurney<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chris Dobey<\/td>\nvs<\/td>\nJoe Cullen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV<\/a>, streaming service NOW<\/a> and the Sky Sports app<\/a>, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Luke Littler suffered a first-round exit to Rob Cross on his World Grand Prix debut on a dramatic opening night in Leicester