Littler moves into the world's top five following Grand Slam success

News

Luke Littler has broken into the world’s top five for the first time following his sensational Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts triumph in Wolverhampton on Sunday.

Astonishing Littler storms to Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts glory

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Luke Littler stormed to his maiden televised ranking title with an astonishing Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts triumph in Wolverhampton, after dispatching Martin Lukeman 16-3 in Sunday’s showpiece.

Littler & Anderson set up blockbuster semi-final showdown in Wolverhampton

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Luke Littler and Gary Anderson will go head-to-head in a mouth-watering semi-final at the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts, after overcoming Dutch duo Jermaine Wattimena and Gian van Veen.

Van Veen relishing last eight clash with darting idol Anderson

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Gian van Veen will take on his darting idol Gary Anderson for a place in the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals on Saturday, as two generations collide in Wolverhampton.

Lukeman & Mansell set up semi-final clash as dream runs continue

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Martin Lukeman and Mickey Mansell will meet in the semi-finals of the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts as their dream runs continued on Friday in Wolverhampton.

Menzies poised for landmark Grand Slam clash against Mansell

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Cameron Menzies believes his best is yet to come ahead of his quarter-final clash against Mickey Mansell at the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts tonight.

Littler edges out De Decker in Grand Slam of Darts epic in Wolverhampton

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Luke Littler produced a sensational comeback to edge past Mike De Decker in a Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts classic on Thursday evening.

Bunting 'playing the darts of his life' ahead of Anderson clash

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Stephen Bunting insists he’s playing ‘the best darts of his life’ ahead of his blockbuster second round showdown against Gary Anderson at the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts tonight.

Cross puts on a finishing masterclass to reach Grand Slam quarter-finals

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies, Martin Lukeman and Mickey Mansell moved through to the quarter-finals of the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts on an eventful Wednesday night in Wolverhampton.

Cross looks ahead to Edhouse clash at Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts

Rob Cross is hoping to return to his blistering best when he takes on Ritchie Edhouse for a place in the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals tonight.

2019 BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts

Final League Tables

BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts

BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts

Schedule of Play & Results
Saturday November 9
Afternoon Session

Groups E-H First Matches
Nathan Aspinall 5-0 Martin Schindler (H)
Ryan Harrington 5-4 Danny Noppert (F)
Gabriel Clemens 5-1 Brendan Dolan (G)
Dave Chisnall 5-3 Jamie Hughes (E)
Daryl Gurney 5-0 Richard Veenstra (G)
Peter Wright 5-2 Wayne Warren (F)
Rob Cross 5-2 Lisa Ashton (E)
Michael Smith 5-3 Glen Durrant (H)

Evening Session
Groups A-D First Matches
William O'Connor 5-3 Darren Webster (D)
Gerwyn Price 5-3 Mikuru Suzuki (C)
Ian White 5-2 Steve Lennon (B)
Gary Anderson 5-1 Dave Parletti (D)
James Wade 5-2 Wesley Harms (B)
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Jim Williams (A)
Adrian Lewis 5-2 Ross Smith (A)
Robert Thornton 5-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh (C)

Sunday November 10
Afternoon Session

Groups E-H Second Matches
Saturday's winners face each other, and Saturday's losers face each other.
Brendan Dolan 5-1 Richard Veenstra (G)
Danny Noppert 5-1 Wayne Warren (F)
Jamie Hughes 5-1 Lisa Ashton (E)
Glen Durrant 5-4 Martin Schindler (H)
Gabriel Clemens 5-4 Daryl Gurney (G)
Peter Wright 5-2 Ryan Harrington (F)
Michael Smith 5-1 Nathan Aspinall (H)
Dave Chisnall 5-3 Rob Cross (E)

Evening Session
Groups A-D Second Matches
Saturday's winners face each other, and Saturday's losers face each other.
Steve Lennon 5-4 Wesley Harms (B)
Darren Webster 5-2 Dave Parletti (D)
Jim Williams 5-1 Ross Smith (A)
Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-1 Mikuru Suzuki (C)
Gerwyn Price 5-4 Robert Thornton (C)
James Wade 5-4 Ian White (B)
Gary Anderson 5-3 William O'Connor (D)
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Adrian Lewis (A)

Monday November 11
Groups E-H Final Matches
Gabriel Clemens 5-2 Richard Veenstra (G) 
Michael Smith 5-4 Martin Schindler (H) 
Dave Chisnall 5-1 Lisa Ashton (E)
Daryl Gurney 5-2 Brendan Dolan (G) 
Peter Wright 5-2 Danny Noppert (F) 
Ryan Harrington 5-1 Wayne Warren (F) 
Rob Cross 5-4 Jamie Hughes (E)
Glen Durrant 5-0 Nathan Aspinall (H)

Tuesday November 12
Groups A-D Final Matches
Ian White 5-4 Wesley Harms (B) 
Steve Lennon 5-4 James Wade (B) 
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Ross Smith (A) 
Robert Thornton 5-3 Mikuru Suzuki (C) 
Gerwyn Price 5-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh (C) 
Dave Parletti 5-2 William O'Connor (D) 
Darren Webster 5-4 Gary Anderson (D) 
Adrian Lewis 5-3 Jim Williams (A)

Wednesday November 13
Second Round x4
Dave Chisnall 10-3 Ryan Harrington
Glen Durrant 10-9 Gabriel Clemens
Michael Smith 10-7 Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright 10-3 Rob Cross

Thursday November 14
Second Round x4
Adrian Lewis 10-9 James Wade
Gerwyn Price 10-1 Darren Webster
Michael van Gerwen 10-7 Ian White
Gary Anderson 10-8 Robert Thornton

Friday November 15
Quarter-Finals x2
Peter Wright 16-12 Dave Chisnall
Glen Durrant 16-12 Michael Smith

Saturday November 16
Quarter-Finals x2
Gerwyn Price 16-9 Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen 16-6 Adrian Lewis

Sunday November 17
Afternoon Session

Semi-Finals
Peter Wright 16-11 Glen Durrant
Gerwyn Price 16-12 Michael van Gerwen

Evening Session
Final
Gerwyn Price 16-6 Peter Wright

Format
Group Stage - Best of nine legs
Second Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 31 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 31 legs
Final - Best of 31 legs

Should there be a two-way Points tie in any position, the player with the best Leg Difference will finish higher. If both players have the same Leg Difference, then the winner of the group match between those two players will finish higher.

Should Points, Leg Difference, Legs Won Against Throw and Tournament Average not be able to separate three players, then if one player has defeated both of the other two players then this player will finish higher, and the winner of the group match between the remaining two players will finish second of the three. Should the three players have secured one win apiece against each other, then a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out will be played between the relevant players to determine final standings, with the highest aggregate score over nine darts being used to separate players.

In the event a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out finishes level between two or more players, those players who have tied on the most points will continue to throw three darts each in the same order until one player scores more points than the other player(s) with his three darts.

Prize fund
Winner - £125,000
Runner-up - £65,000
Semi-finalists - £40,000
Quarter-finalists - £20,000
Third in group - £7,500
Fourth in group - £4,000
Group winner bonus - £3,500

Gerwyn Price produced the performance of his life to retain the BoyleSports Grand Slam of Darts title in incredible fashion by defeating Peter Wright 16-6 in Sunday's final.

The Welshman followed up his brilliant maiden career victory over Michael van Gerwen in Sunday afternoon's semi-finals with an unstoppable display to lift the Eric Bristow Trophy once again in Wolverhampton.

Price had never previously defeated Van Gerwen in 18 previous career meetings, but emerged a 16-12 winner in their last four clash to keep his title hopes alive at the Aldersley Leisure Village.

He then wrote his name into the record books with a relentless demolition of Wright to claim back-to-back Grand Slam wins, averaging 107.86 and hitting 11 180s during a remarkable display.

"I'm chuffed to bits," said an emotional Price, who picks up £125,000 as champion plus a £3,500 group winner bonus following a flawless week.

"I knew in the middle of the game that I was playing really well. I was hitting trebles for fun and putting Peter under pressure and he wasn't playing his best.

"I was that I was at the top of my game and I felt comfortable all the way through that game. I'm happy to play the way I did - Peter's a world-class player and for me to win 16-6 is outstanding."

Having defeated Gary Anderson in a controversial final 12 months ago, Price has turned jeers to cheers on his way to retaining the Eric Bristow Trophy with his superb form throughout the nine-day tournament.

"This week the crowd has been fantastic for me," said Price. "To come through that game and have the cheers at the end of it is a much better feeling than last year.

"I'm not used to this but they truly have got behind me and I appreciate it."

A 100 finish from Price broke throw in the opening leg and he doubled his lead in 13 darts before Wright took out 71 to get off the mark in leg three.

Checkouts of 111, 84 and 88 helped Price to move 7-3 up before Wright - the 2017 runner-up in Wolverhampton - hit back with successive legs to halve the deficit.

An 11-darter from Price stopped that run, while he also took out 130 on the bull and a 12-darter in a run of eight straight legs to open up a 15-5 advantage.

Three missed match darts allowed Wright to keep his feint hopes alive with a sixth leg, but the respite was brief as double five secured Price back-to-back titles.

Following the success Price moves up to third on the PDC Order of Merit, and he added: "I'm playing well, I'm up to number three and I probably deserve to be three, maybe two.

"I've had a good year, 18 months, but it doesn't happen all the time.

"I've been playing well and it breeds confidence, and I've been confident in every tournament for the last six months. I'm just thankful to win this again.

"I'm full of confidence and hopefully I can carry that on to next week, it's the Players Championship and hopefully I can have a good run in that."

Price's semi-final win had seen him open up an early 4-1 lead over World Champion Van Gerwen, and though the Dutchman eventually levelled at nine-all, the Markham ace pulled clear to complete a memorable win.

Wright had booked his place in the Wolverhampton final for a second time in three years with a 16-11 win over Lakeside Champion Glen Durrant, who lost out in his third PDC televised semi-final of 2019.

Scottish ace Wright had defeated Price to win his only televised ranking title at the 2017 UK Open, but was this time left to admit: "I had no answer.

"Beating Michael and then the way he played there, I thought he was trying for the record [average in a final]. 

"I was chasing him all the way through, and when he missed I was lucky if I was on 100-and-something! He played fantastic all the way through."

Wright had switched darts ahead of the event to a style similar to that used by Phil Taylor towards the end of the Stoke legend's career, and was happy with his performances in reaching the final.

"I switched to these darts and I said to myself that I think I can get to the final with them, and I got to the final," he added. "It's a stepping stone."

Van Gerwen had been bidding to win his fourth Grand Slam of Darts title, but has now set his sights on next weekend's Players Championship Finals after being knocked out by Price.

"Gerwyn deserved to win," said Van Gerwen. "I made too many mistakes and gave him too many chances. He took advantage and credit to him for that.

"It hurts not to take the trophy home, but tomorrow I start to prepare for the next tournament, where I will put it right."