Grand Slam of Darts: Michael van Gerwen pips Beau Greaves in final-leg thriller as Luke Littler, Luke Humphries make winning starts
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries both made winning starts to the Grand Slam of Darts, as Michael van Gerwen defeated Beau Greaves in a final-leg thriller in Wolverhampton.
All 32 players featured on the opening day of the round-robin group stage at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, held across two sessions, where Greaves threatened a huge upset in a high-scoring match against the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Greaves capitalised on some wayward finishing by Van Gerwen to hold in the opening leg, with the next three going with throw, only for the Dutchman to pull ahead in the contest by following a 11-dart break by winning the next to move 4-2 up.
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Highlights from Luke Littler’s convincing 5-1 victory over Karel Sedlacek at the Grand Slam of Darts
The contest was dragged into a decider after Greaves produced a 13-dart hold and fired successive 180s on her way to a 12-dart break in the next, with both players squandering match darts before Van Gerwen snatched a dramatic victory on D3.
Greaves posted a 101.47 average and three maximums during her opening-day defeat, leaving her with work to reach the knockout stages for the first time, with Niko Springer moving top of their group after his 5-3 win over former Grand Slam finalist Gary Anderson.
Littler – looking to defend a TV title for the first time and move to world No 1 – began his title defence with a 5-1 win over Karel Sedlacek, where he produced some sensational set-up play and averaged 98 during a dominant display.
2023 champion Humphries brushed aside Alex Spellman in straight legs, where a 13-dart break and 14-dart hold set him on his way to a one-side win where his opponent never got a dart at double.
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Highlights from the Grand Slam of Darts match between Luke Humphries and Alex Spellman, where the world No 1 made an impressive start
Smith edges Aspinall on TV return
Connor Scutt survived a match dart when 4-3 down to fire five perfect darts – in the deciding leg – to beat Daryl Gurney in a topsy-turvy contest, leaving him second in Group E behind Littler.
Humphries tops Group A ahead of former Grand Slam champion Michael Smith, who capitalised on Nathan Aspinall missing 19 darts at double to claim a 5-3 win in a repeat of the 2022 final.
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Nathan Aspinall produced a little jig after he nailed an 86 checkout against Michael Smith, having missed plenty of chances previously on the outer ring
Luke Woodhouse won the first three legs of his 5-2 victory over Martin Schindler, before closing out his win with a brilliant 120 finish, with Stephen Bunting then suffering a shock final-leg defeat to Alexis Toylo in the last match of the evening.
Springer nailed a 152 finish and won three straight legs from 3-2 down to beat Anderson, who has progressed from the group stage every year, with the Scot now facing Greaves in Sunday’s round-robin fixtures.
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Niko Springer picked up a 5-3 victory over Gary Anderson in the Grand Slam of Darts, with this huge 152 checkout the pick of the bunch from the German
More to follow…
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