Luke Littler has not endeared himself to fans following his match against Connor Scutt at the Grand Slam of Darts.
The 18-year-old pulled off a controversial move that many have labelled as unsporting — as seen in footage circulating online. The incident could even result in a fine if the PDC decides it constitutes bringing the sport of darts into disrepute.
For now, however, Littler is unlikely to be too concerned. With one group-stage match still to play, he has already secured a spot in the next round. His upcoming encounter with Daryl Gurney therefore carries no real stakes for either player — Gurney has already been eliminated — meaning fans could see more unpredictable antics from The Nuke. Their match is scheduled for Tuesday evening, while the only remaining fixture in the group with real significance will be between Connor Scutt and Karel Sedláček.
Elsewhere, several players have already booked their places in the knockout stage, including Chris Dobey, Luke Woodhouse, Ricky Evans, Niko Springer, and Danny Noppert. Jurjen van der Velde will attempt to join them on Monday evening when he faces Damon Heta.
Michael van Gerwen still needs a strong performance against Gary Anderson after suffering a narrow 5–4 defeat to Niko Springer — despite previously overcoming Beau Greaves by the same scoreline.
Wessel Nijman and Gian van Veen also remain in contention to progress from their respective groups, though both will need positive results against Lisa Ashton and Josh Rock respectively. Those matches are also scheduled for Tuesday, setting up an exciting evening of darts action.
With the PDC World Championship just a month away, the Grand Slam serves as a crucial test of form for many of the sport’s top players — and all eyes will be on how Littler responds following his latest controversy.