Michael van Gerwen Out of Grand Slam After Defeat to Ryan Joyce

Michael van Gerwen was eliminated from the Grand Slam of Darts after a 5-4 defeat to Ryan Joyce in the Group G decider. The Dutch three-time world champion fought back twice from two legs down but was unable to complete a 112 checkout on his throw. Joyce capitalized by hitting 80 to secure the win, sending Van Gerwen out of the tournament. This marks the first time since 2010 that Van Gerwen has failed to reach the knockout stages of the Grand Slam of Darts.

In other action, 17-year-old Luke Littler topped Group F with an unbeaten record defeating Lourence Ilagan 5-3. Littler, who narrowly missed a nine-dart finish, thrilled the crowd in Wolverhampton with seven consecutive treble 20s and a treble 19 though he missed double 12 for the perfect leg. Dimitri van den Bergh secured second place in the group after a dominant 5-1 win over Keane Barry.

Mike De Decker claimed a notable 5-0 victory over Michael Smith, securing second place in Group E while Stephen Bunting booked his spot in the last 16 with a 5-2 win over Josh Rock in Group H. In Group G, Gary Anderson topped the table with a 5-2 win over Noa-Lynn van Leuven, finishing with three victories.

Michael van Gerwen’s early exit was a major shock but the tournament saw impressive performances from younger players like Littler, who showed immense promise with his near-perfect leg. The competition continues with the remaining players vying for a place in the knockout stages.