Defending champion Luke Littler suffered a dramatic first-round elimination at the World Grand Prix. He fell 2-1 to Luke Woodhouse on opening night in Leicester on September 28, 2026. World No. 1 Littler took the opening set despite a below-par performance. Woodhouse missed several double attempts that could have pushed the first set into a deciding leg. Woodhouse capitalized in the remaining two sets to secure the victory and advance to the second round.
How Luke Woodhouse Pulled Off the Massive Upset
Littler initially raced out of the blocks, taking the opening leg while Woodhouse was still in the 300s. The 19-year-old then faced stiffer competition from the 37-year-old from Bewdley. A double 15 as part of a 106 checkout allowed Littler to take the first set 3-1. However, this came only after Woodhouse had allowed a commanding position to crumble.
Woodhouse took the lead for the first time in the second set, roaring 2-1 ahead. Although Littler leveled the score, Woodhouse held his nerve on a double 16 in the decider to force a winner-takes-all third set. The underdog rose to the occasion magnificently, racing ahead before sealing the match with a clinical double 12.
“Well played @lukewoodly180 was a good game, good one to be apart of aswell. Both hit, both missed but Luke took his chance and nice week off now, all the best to Luke for rest of tournament.” – Luke Littler via Instagram
Following his stunning early exit, Woodhouse advances to the second round. He will face former finalist Nathan Aspinall, who defeated Kevin Doets in a deciding leg.
Michael Van Gerwen Also Suffers Shock Early Exit
The tournament witnessed another seismic shock on the opening night as six-time champion Michael van Gerwen was also knocked out. Van Gerwen endured his third consecutive first-round exit at the event. Ryan Joyce rallied from a set down to claim a 2-1 win over the Dutchman.
Meanwhile, former tournament champions Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton both advanced safely. Price put in the performance of the night. He dropped just one leg during a 2-0 victory against Sebastian Bialecki while averaging 101.61 and nailing three 180s. Clayton was forced to work much harder. He edged past Krzysztof Ratajski 2-1 in one of six matches that went the distance on opening night.
Opening Night Results Summary
- Danny Noppert 2-1 Niko Springer
- Ross Smith 2-1 Cameron Menzies
- Nathan Aspinall 2-1 Kevin Doets
- Jonny Clayton 2-1 Krzysztof Ratajski
- Gerwyn Price 2-0 Sebastian Bialecki
- Ryan Joyce 2-1 Michael van Gerwen
- Luke Woodhouse 2-1 Luke Littler
Ross Smith also secured a 2-1 victory over Cameron Menzies after Menzies missed two match darts at double top. This allowed Smith to dominate the final set 3-0. Day two of the World Grand Prix continues live from Leicester with coverage across Sky Sports platforms.
