Luke Littler launched his Grand Slam of Darts title defence in ominous fashion on Saturday night, dismantling Beau Greaves 5-2 on the opening evening in Wolverhampton with an average just shy of 110 and seven 180s.
The world number one, now 19, raced into a 3-0 lead in the best-of-nine contest and calmly repelled Greaves’ threat of a fightback as the match wore on. The victory extends Littler’s remarkable unbeaten run at the Grand Slam to 15 matches and keeps him on course to become only the third player — after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen — to win three successive titles.
Littler, who beat Luke Humphries in the 2025 final and claimed the world number one ranking for the first time during that run, admitted the fast start was exactly what he had planned. “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,” he said. “Beau was fantastic but I am happy with myself and still 100% here in Wolverhampton.”
The teenager also acknowledged a lean spell at recent majors, saying: “Obviously the past three or four majors haven’t gone well, but I have been practising and I am glad I have shown it.”
Littler returns to the Wolverhampton oche for his second group-stage assignment as he bids to extend an unbeaten Grand Slam sequence that has become one of the most formidable records in the sport.
