Luke Littler stunned by Waterhouse at World Grand Prix

The World Grand Prix darts tournament in Leicester delivered a major upset as reigning world champion Luke Littler saw his title defence come to an abrupt end in the opening round following a defeat against compatriot Luke Woodhouse.

Nineteen-year-old Littler was hoping to bounce back strongly after suffering a quarter-final exit to Jonny Clayton at the World Series of Darts Finals just over a week prior. However, he fell well below his usual high standards throughout the best-of-three encounter.

Despite securing the opening set, Littler struggled to find any sustained rhythm, allowing Woodhouse to level the match. Woodhouse capitalized on the momentum, sealing the victory with a clinical 75 checkout to claim the deciding third set 3-1 in legs.

Littler's early exit from the World Grand Prix marks a significant turning point in the tournament's landscape. As one of the sport's most prominent young talents, the defeat underscores the relentless competitiveness of the PDC circuit, where maintaining peak mental and physical consistency is essential regardless of previous championship titles.

Following his impressive win, Woodhouse moves on to face 2022 runner-up Nathan Aspinall in the last 16, after Aspinall narrowly edged past Dutch debutant Kevin Doets 2-1.