Thrilling Day One at the BoyleSports World Grand Prix: Upsets, Comebacks, and High-Intensity Matches

Pre-tournament favourite Luke Littler was ousted with a 2-1 defeat by Rob Cross during his debut at the World Grand Prix in Leicester. The teenage prodigy, aged 17, displayed moments of prowess with six maximums, but struggled to fully capitalize in the double-start format. Rob Cross, 34, showcased his experience, concluding with a bullseye to secure only his third tournament win, setting up a second-round confrontation with Germany’s Martin Schindler on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, reigning champion Luke Humphries staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Masters winner Stephen Bunting 2-1. Bunting initially dominated, claiming the first five legs, and came close to victory, but faltered at a crucial moment, missing a double 16. Humphries capitalized, rallying to win the next three legs and maintained momentum to secure the match. Humphries is now aiming to join Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen as one of the few players to retain the title.

In other notable matches, Nathan Aspinall overcame Ryan Searle 2-1 after a nail-biting final set, marking his return to the grand stage following a wrist injury. Aspinall expressed joy after his victory, noting the challenging match against Searle and the performance in the decisive set.

Ross Smith delivered one of the evening’s standout performances with a commanding victory over Gian van Veen, finishing in straight sets with an average of 101.79. Smith’s formidable showing against the Dutch debutant is setting up a tantalizing second-round matchup with Jonny Clayton.

Monday’s matches also saw victories for Ryan Joyce over Josh Rock, Jonny Clayton against Ritchie Edhouse, and Martin Schindler over Brendan Dolan. Jonny Clayton, a former champion, demonstrated precision with impressive 130 and 102 checkouts.

The action continues as Monday comes to a close with other first-round successes, including a win for Ricardo Pietreczko who defeated Raymond van Barneveld. Pietreczko overcame a shaky start to take the final set without conceding a leg.

As the tournament progresses, Tuesday’s matches promise further excitement with the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson set to take the stage, alongside former winners James Wade and Gerwyn Price. The BoyleSports World Grand Prix is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, with international coverage via PDC’s partners such as DAZN and Viaplay.