Darts star Luke Littler had to heed Wayne Mardle’s warning words after Luke Humphries’ sudden exit from the Grand Slam of Darts.
Defending champion Humphries suffered a humiliating defeat to James Wade, missing out on progression from Group A and making his title defence even tougher. Humphries was in dire straits after losing his opening match to Rowby-John Rodrigues and needed to beat Wade on Sunday to stay in the running for the title.
Sky Sports’ Mardle sounded the alarm for all involved, signalling the end of an invincible era in darts and offering hope to the underdogs competing for Wolverhampton’s £150,000 cash prize. “The best player in the world is gone. Now everyone will ask why they’re not winning,” Mardle told Sky Sports.
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We’ve reached a point in darts where nobody is invincible. When the best boys play well, they win, but when they play badly, anyone can overcome them. The last months have proven it. The rest of the world will think that now, as the reigning champions, they might have a chance.
Littler not only beat Keane Barry in his first match, he also showed his dominance in challenging his rivals, beating him 5-0 on Saturday night. But the 17-year-old prodigy will face tough challenges from Dimitri van den Bergh and Lourence Ilagan.