World champion and current Premier League leader Luke Littler faced a shock defeat in the first round of Players Championship 11 in Leicester, losing 6-3 to 22-year-old Irishman Dylan Slevin.
Littler, 18, struggled to find his form, averaging 90.11 against Slevin’s more consistent 92.74. The result marks an unexpected stumble for the teenage star, who has dominated much of the darting scene in recent months.
He wasn’t the only big name to fall early. Michael van Gerwen, a three-time world champion, also crashed out in a tight 6-5 match against Maik Kuivenhoven, his fellow Dutchman.
Elsewhere, Gerwyn Price bowed out 6-4 to Rob Owen in an all-Welsh clash, while veteran Raymond van Barneveld was edged out 6-4 by rising star Tom Bissell, a newcomer to the PDC stage.
The early exits of several top players have set the stage for an unpredictable tournament going forward.
