Luke Littler demands better finishing after beating Beau Greaves

Luke Littler says his finishing “needs to improve” despite beating Beau Greaves 5-2 to start his bid for a third successive Grand Slam of Darts title.

The world champion averaged 109.97 and hit seven 180s in Wolverhampton on Saturday night. He then picked out his 29 per cent success rate on the doubles as the part of his game to fix.

Greaves averaged 103.82 in defeat, and Littler is now unbeaten in 15 Grand Slam matches.

Luke Littler on his doubles

Littler was delighted with his scoring but not his finishing. He told Sky Sports, in comments reported by PA:

“I’m happy with the win. I needed to get off to a strong start because Beau started to find it at the end.

“I just had to finish how I started. I was very good at the scoring, but 29 per cent on the doubles needs to improve.

“Beau was fantastic, but I’m happy with myself and I’m still 100 per cent here in Wolverhampton.”

That is a warning for the rest of the field. Littler scored heavily enough to win comfortably while missing more than two-thirds of his darts at a double. If his finishing sharpens, he will be even harder to stop.

How the match unfolded

Littler made his intentions clear early on. He broke the Greaves throw in the second leg and raced into a 3-0 lead.

That start mattered. Greaves had beaten him in their previous meeting, in the semi-finals of last year’s World Youth Championship, and she found her rhythm as the match went on.

She held throw to make it 4-2 and pushed him hard in the closing stages, but Littler sealed it on tops.

Littler’s last major before the World Championship

The Grand Slam is Littler’s last major before the World Championship. He will not be at the Players Championship Finals in Minehead after missing out on qualification.

He is bidding to join Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen as the only players to win the Grand Slam three years in a row, after his titles in 2024 and 2025.

What it means for Group A

Group A also includes Niels Zonneveld. Under this year’s new format, there are 16 groups of three and only the group winner reaches the last 16.

Greaves plays Zonneveld on Sunday evening and needs a win to stay in contention. Littler meets Zonneveld on Monday 16 November, and a second win would send him into the knockout stage.

Before the match, Littler praised Greaves’s impact on women’s darts. Her 103.82 average showed why.

Check the Grand Slam of Darts schedule and the Grand Slam of Darts groups for what comes next, and catch up on the rest of the day one action. Follow the week on our darts hub.

Luke Littler: FAQ

What did Luke Littler say about his doubles?
Littler said his 29 per cent checkout rate “needs to improve”, despite averaging 109.97 against Beau Greaves.

When does Luke Littler play next at the Grand Slam?
He plays Niels Zonneveld on Monday 16 November. A win would send him into the last 16.

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