Nocturnal 
Luke Littler heads into next week’s World Grand Prix as the man to beat, but he arrives at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena under more pressure than usual after a rocky few weeks on the oche.
The tournament, which runs from 28 September to 4 October and will be shown live on Sky Sports, sees the 19-year-old world number one defend the title he won last year. Standing in his way are the likes of Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, James Wade and Ross Smith, all of whom fancy their chances in darts’ unique double-in, double-out format.
Littler’s rocky run into the tournament
Littler had been chasing a historic clean sweep of every major title this season after winning the first six on offer. That bid came crashing down at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam earlier this month, where he suffered a heavy 10-4 defeat to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals.
To make matters worse, the two-time world champion was booed and whistled at by sections of the crowd during that exit. It’s a issue that’s followed Littler before, and it prompted fellow player Stephen Bunting to speak out in his defence.
“For whatever reason, the crowd got on his back, they didn’t want him to do the [clean sweep],” Bunting said. “I don’t like the whistling. I’d rather have someone shouting abuse at me than whistling. It’s a horrible noise to hear when you’re trying to concentrate.”
Bunting added that “punishments need to be brought in” for fans who whistle at players, though he admitted the behaviour is likely to continue regardless. Littler will now be hoping for a warmer reception on home soil in Leicester.
His path to defending the title starts against Luke Woodhouse in round one, with a potential second-round clash against either Nathan Aspinall or Kevin Doets waiting in the wings.
Humphries under pressure to protect his ranking
Luke Humphries, known to fans as “Cool Hand Luke”, has extra motivation this time around. The former world champion lost the World Grand Prix final two years ago to Mike De Decker, and he needs to at least match that run in Leicester or risk losing second place in the world rankings to Gian van Veen.
Humphries opens his campaign against Dave Chisnall, with a possible second-round meeting against either Chris Dobey or Jermaine Wattimena. His form has been mixed of late. He suffered a shock first-round exit to Cameron Menzies at the World Matchplay in July and only returned to competitive action at the end of August. Since then he’s won Players Championship 28, before losing to Littler in the final of the Czech Open.
Where things stand
With Gerwyn Price and Ross Smith also named among the contenders, this year’s World Grand Prix looks set to be one of the most open in recent memory. Littler remains the favourite by virtue of his ranking and recent dominance, but his defeat in Amsterdam and the ongoing crowd issues have shown he’s not untouchable.
Fans will find out from 28 September whether Littler can shrug off the noise and retain his crown, or whether Humphries, Price, Wade or Smith can seize the moment in Leicester. Coverage continues live on Sky Sports throughout the week-long event.
