Littler begins Grand Slam defence with victory over Greaves

Summarised from 3 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 15 Nov, 04:56 · Archive

Luke Littler defeated Beau Greaves 5-2 in his opening match at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

Luke Littler beat Beau Greaves 5-2 in his opening match at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton on Saturday night. The world number one, aged 19, produced a clinical display to secure the Group A victory.

Littler finished with an average just under 110 and landed seven 180s. He raced to a 3-0 lead in rapid time before withstanding Greaves' fightback, which briefly cut the deficit to 4-2. Littler wrapped up victory with his first match dart by taking out tops.

Greaves had beaten Littler in the semi-finals of last year's World Youth Championship, but the back-to-back world champion had revenge on his mind. Despite Greaves' efforts to find form towards the end of the match, Littler held firm.

Speaking after his win, Littler said: 'I am happy with the win. I said in my pre-match interview I needed to get off to a strong start because Beau started to find it at the end there. I was very good on the scoring, but 29 per cent on the doubles needs to improve.' He added that recent tournament form had not gone well but that he had been practising and was glad to show improvement at a crucial moment.

Littler is unbeaten in 15 Grand Slam matches and is aiming to become only the third player after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen to win three successive titles in the tournament. After winning the first five majors of 2026, he had endured setbacks at the World Series of Darts Finals, the Grand Prix and the European Championship before this performance in Wolverhampton.

How it is being reported

• Littler beats Greaves to start Grand Slam defenceLuke Littler begins his Grand Slam of Darts title defence with a comfortable 5-2 win over Beau Greaves in Wolverhampton.BBC Sport · 14 Nov, 23:10
• Luke Littler begins Grand Slam of Darts campaign with win over Beau GreavesLittler finished with an average of just under 110, having landed seven 180s.Independent Sport · 14 Nov, 22:54
• Luke Littler begins Grand Slam of Darts campaign with win over Beau GreavesLittler finished with an average of just under 110, having landed seven 180s.Independent Sport · 14 Nov, 22:16
• Littler opens bid for third Grand Slam crown with stunning Greaves winLuke Littler started his pursuit of a Grand Slam of Darts hat-trick with a commanding 5-2 victory against Beau Greaves in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.Sky Sports · 14 Nov, 22:08
• Reigning champion Littler 'unplayable' in emphatic win over GreavesHighlights of the Grand Slam of Darts Group A match between Luke Littler and Beau Greaves.Sky Sports · 14 Nov, 22:08

In this story: Luke Littler · Beau Greaves · Phil Taylor · Michael van Gerwen · Wolverhampton · Grand Slam of Darts

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