Luke Littler opened his Grand Slam title defence in Wolverhampton on Saturday night with a 5-2 victory over Beau Greaves, averaging just under 110 and hitting seven maximums.
The 19-year-old world number one raced to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-nine match before withstanding a late fightback from the Women’s Matchplay champion, according to BBC Sport. Littler is now unbeaten in 15 Grand Slam matches as he targets a third title.
- Littler remains the betting favourite for the Wolverhampton crown despite a mixed autumn in other majors.
- Beau Greaves showed her ability, giving her fans something to look forward to heading into upcoming events.
- Rusty-Jake Rodriguez delivered a major upset on opening night, shaking up group-stage betting markets by defeating Ross Smith 5-3.
Littler started his pursuit of a hat-trick of titles with a commanding 109.97 average against Greaves, as reported by Sky Sports. The teenager struck seven 180s on the opening night of the expanded 48-match group stage.
Greaves previously defeated Littler in the semi-finals of last year’s World Youth Championship. However, the world number one controlled the opening exchanges before holding off his opponent’s late charge.
“I am happy with the win.”
Littler told Sky Sports. “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.”
“Beau was fantastic but I am happy with myself and still 100% here in Wolverhampton,” Littler added to Sky Sports.
ESPN said that Littler arrived at the tournament seeking to steady his form after failing to win any of the previous three majors. Following a dominant start to 2026 that included five major titles, he suffered early exits at the World Series Finals, the World Grand Prix, and the European Championship.
| Player | Opponent | Result | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty-Jake Rodriguez | Ross Smith | Won 5-3 | Seismic Group Stage Upset |
| Michael van Gerwen | Henry Coates | Won 5-4 | Deciding Leg Victory |
Other opening-night action saw second seed Luke Humphries defeat Paolo Nebrida 5-3, while Michael van Gerwen edged 20-year-old debutant Henry Coates 5-4 in a deciding leg. Meanwhile, Rusty-Jake Rodriguez pulled off a major shock by beating two-time major winner Ross Smith 5-3, securing only his third ranking win of the season according to Sky Sports reporting.
“I think it is what I need,” Littler told Sky Sports regarding his opening victory. “Obviously the past three or four majors haven’t gone well, but I have been practising and I am glad I have shown it.”
The group stage matches continue across the opening three days in Wolverhampton.
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