Littler loses to Cross on World Grand Prix debut

Pre-tournament favourite Luke Littler fell to a 2-1 decision by Rob Cross connected his debut successful the World Grand Prix successful Leicester.

Teenage prima Littler made six maximums successful the lucifer but astatine times struggled to get going successful the double-start format contempt levelling astatine 1-1 aft losing the archetypal set.

Cross impressively held his nervus against the 17-year-old, finishing with a bullseye successful the 4th acceptable to assertion lone his 3rd triumph successful the tournament.

Englishman Cross, who won the World Championship connected his debut successful 2018, volition present look Germany's Martin Schindler successful the 2nd circular connected Wednesday.

Meanwhile, reigning champion Luke Humphries fought backmost from a acceptable and 2 legs down to bushed Masters victor Stephen Bunting 2-1.

Bunting won the archetypal 5 legs against the satellite fig 1 but missed a treble 16 to triumph the lucifer and watched connected arsenic Humphries took the adjacent 3 legs to level, earlier pulling clear.

Humphries, who celebrated his maiden TV ranking rubric with triumph implicit Gerwyn Price 12 months ago, is aiming to bidding to go the 3rd subordinate to clasp it aft Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen.

He present plays Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko, who defeated Dutch five-time satellite champion Raymond van Barneveld 2-1.

In Monday's different results, Nathan Aspinall defeated Ryan Searle 2-1, Schindler bushed Brendan Dolan 2-0 and Ryan Joyce, Jonny Clayton and Ross Smith triumphed by the aforesaid scoreline against Josh Rock, Ritchie Edhouse and Gian van Veen, respectively.