Michael van Gerwen narrowly defeated Beau Greaves in a tense match during the Grand Slam of Darts. The reigning champion Luke Littler commenced his title defense successfully with a commanding performance.
Michael van Gerwen Overcomes Beau Greaves
In a dramatic encounter in Wolverhampton, Michael van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, faced off against 21-year-old Beau Greaves. Van Gerwen initially led the match with a score of 4-2. However, Greaves fought back, winning two consecutive legs to take the match to a final decider.
Greaves had a chance to clinch victory, with three darts to finish on 52, but was unable to complete the checkout. Van Gerwen ultimately secured the win, confirming his place in the next round.
Luke Littler Starts Strong
Luke Littler, only 18 years old, is maintaining his undefeated streak in the tournament. He achieved a 5-1 victory against Karel Sedlacek. Having debuted in 2024 with a strong performance, Littler expressed frustration for dropping a single leg during the match.
“I was obviously looking for the whitewash,” said Littler. He aims to replace Luke Humphries at the top of the rankings by the end of the year.
Other Notable Matches
- Luke Humphries began his title defense with a dominant 5-0 win over Alex Spellman.
- Michael Smith secured a 5-3 victory against Nathan Aspinall.
- Gerwyn Price suffered a loss to Rickey Evans.
- Wessel Nijman triumphed over Josh Rock, and Stefan Bellmont defeated James Wade.
All 32 players competed on opening day of the round-robin stage in Wolverhampton, with matches divided between two sessions. The competition continues as players strive to advance through the tournament.
