08-04-2025
Littler suffers surprise first-round exit to Slevin
Luke Littler suffered a surprise early exit in the 11th Players Championship of the year with a 6-3 defeat by Dylan champion Littler averaged 90.11 compared to his opponent's 92.74 as he fell in the first round of the tournament in Leicester. Slevin, ranked 61st in the PDC order of merit, had raced into a 4-1 lead against the Warrington teenager at the Mattioli rallied to win the next two legs to reduce the deficit, but 22-year-old Irishman Slevin twice nailed double top on pressure throws to seal victory. Former world champions Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price also fell at the first hurdle.
Van Gerwen lost a thriller 6-5 to fellow Dutchman Maik Kuivenhoven while Welshman Price was beaten 6-4 by compatriot Rob number one Luke Humphries exited the tournament in the second round after a 6-5 defeat by fellow Englishman Brett are 34 Players Championship events across the year, with the competition's finals held in Minehead in November.
