Grand Slam of Darts day one results: Littler beats Greaves as four seeds fall

Luke Littler beat Beau Greaves 5-2 as the Grand Slam of Darts opened in Wolverhampton on Saturday. Four seeds lost on a busy first day.

Nathan Aspinall produced the highest average of the day, 111.68. Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Ross Smith and Luke Woodhouse all lost their opening group matches.

All 16 groups have now played once, and with only the group winner going through, the beaten seeds are already under pressure.

Grand Slam of Darts day one: evening session

Littler started his bid for a third successive Grand Slam title with a 5-2 win over Greaves in Group A.

He averaged 109.97, but the Women’s World Matchplay champion averaged 103.82 and made him work for it. Before the match, Littler praised Greaves’s impact on women’s darts.

Gian van Veen went even higher. The third seed averaged 110.51 to beat Carl Sneyd 5-2 in Group M. Luke Humphries averaged 105.70 in a 5-3 win over Paolo Nebrida in Group I.

Michael van Gerwen needed a deciding leg to beat Henry Coates 5-4 in Group L, and Gerwyn Price beat Joe Hunt 5-3 in Group E.

James Wade averaged 104.09 in a 5-1 win over Cam Crabtree. Chris Dobey closed the night with a 5-2 win over German debutant Jan Schmidt in Group N.

The big shock came in Group O, where sixth seed Ross Smith lost 5-3 to Rusty-Jake Rodriguez in a scrappy match. Smith averaged 86.51 and Rodriguez 83.43.

Grand Slam of Darts day one: afternoon session

Aspinall was the standout of the afternoon. He was averaging more than 116 at one stage of his 5-1 win over Maik Kuivenhoven in Group P, which put the group-stage record under threat. Missed doubles later brought his finishing average down to 111.68.

Clayton was beaten 5-4 by Nordic and Baltic champion Anton Ostlund on the Swede’s Grand Slam debut. Clayton had two darts at double 16 for the match, but Ostlund took out 97 to win.

Rock was beaten 5-2 by Tommy Morris in Group C. Woodhouse, the 15th seed, lost 5-3 to Tom Sykes in Group J.

Stephen Bunting beat Raymond Smith 5-4 in a deciding leg in Group D. Ryan Searle won by the same score against Charlie Manby in Group F.

Wessel Nijman beat Adam Sevada 5-1 in Group H, and Jermaine Wattimena beat Lisa Ashton 5-2 in Group B.

Grand Slam of Darts day one results

• Group A: Luke Littler 5-2 Beau Greaves
• Group B: Jermaine Wattimena 5-2 Lisa Ashton
• Group C: Tommy Morris 5-2 Josh Rock
• Group D: Stephen Bunting 5-4 Raymond Smith
• Group E: Gerwyn Price 5-3 Joe Hunt
• Group F: Ryan Searle 5-4 Charlie Manby
• Group G: Anton Ostlund 5-4 Jonny Clayton
• Group H: Wessel Nijman 5-1 Adam Sevada
• Group I: Luke Humphries 5-3 Paolo Nebrida
• Group J: Tom Sykes 5-3 Luke Woodhouse
• Group K: James Wade 5-1 Cam Crabtree
• Group L: Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Henry Coates
• Group M: Gian van Veen 5-2 Carl Sneyd
• Group N: Chris Dobey 5-2 Jan Schmidt
• Group O: Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 5-3 Ross Smith
• Group P: Nathan Aspinall 5-1 Maik Kuivenhoven

What comes next

The format is new this year. There are 16 groups of three, and only the group winner reaches the last 16. If players finish level on points, leg difference comes into play first.

Clayton, Rock, Woodhouse and Ross Smith must win their remaining group matches to keep their qualification hopes alive. Another defeat would eliminate them, while a victory could leave their fate resting on the final match and the tie-break rules.

The winners are not safe either. Littler, Humphries and Van Veen made strong starts, but each still has a group match to come against a player who has not yet thrown a dart.

The action continues on Sunday, with sessions starting at 1pm and 7.30pm.

We have explained how the groups work in our Grand Slam of Darts groups guide, and you can see the full timings in our Grand Slam of Darts schedule. Catch up on how the day unfolded on our day one page, and follow the rest of the week on our darts hub.

Grand Slam of Darts day one: FAQ

Who won Luke Littler vs Beau Greaves?
Littler won 5-2, averaging 109.97 to Greaves’s 103.82.

What was the highest average on day one?
Nathan Aspinall’s 111.68 in his 5-1 win over Maik Kuivenhoven.

Which seeds lost on day one?
Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock, Ross Smith and Luke Woodhouse all lost their opening matches.

How many players qualify from each group?
One. Only the group winner reaches the last 16.

What time does the Grand Slam of Darts start on Sunday?
The afternoon session starts at 1pm and the evening session at 7.30pm.

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