In the opening round of the Grand Slam of Darts held in Wolverhampton, Michael van Gerwen narrowly defeated Beau Greaves, while reigning champion Luke Littler secured a strong victory to begin his title defense. The match between Van Gerwen and Greaves showcased a thrilling comeback from the 21yearold Greaves, who closed the gap from 42 to force a deciding leg. Despite having three chances to win, Greaves could not capitalize, allowing Van Gerwen to claim victory.
Michael van Gerwen vs. Beau Greaves
Van Gerwen, a threetime world champion, faced off against Greaves, notable for reaching the World Youth Championship final in October. Greaves requires a win against former champion Gary Anderson on Sunday to continue in the competition.
Luke Littler Starts Strong
In contrast to van Gerwen’s tight match, 18yearold Luke Littler showcased his skill with a commanding 51 victory over Karel Sedlacek. This win maintained Littler’s perfect record at the Grand Slam of Darts tournament.
- Littler aims to reclaim the top ranking from Luke Humphries by the end of the year.
- He expressed some disappointment, saying, “I was obviously looking for the whitewash.”
Other Matches on Opening Day
The competition featured all 32 players in a roundrobin format. Noteworthy matches included:
- Luke Humphries defeating Alex Spellman 50, positioning him at the top of Group A.
- Michael Smith winning against Nathan Aspinall 53.
- Rickey Evans overcoming Gerwyn Price.
- Wessel Nijman defeating Josh Rock.
- Stefan Bellmont beating James Wade.
The Grand Slam of Darts continues with further matches as players strive for supremacy in this prestigious tournament.