Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith both suffered group stage exits on a dramatic night at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Three-time winner Van Gerwen lost in a last-leg decider to Ryan Joyce, exiting the tournament before the knockout phase for the first time since 2010.
The Dutchman started poorly but he clawed his way back into the match by taking consecutive legs with 11 and 14 darts respectively to make it 4-4, but Joyce checked out with double 10 to complete the upset.
Joyce told Sky Sports: “I’m happy to win. It didn’t feel like a battle, it felt like we were struggling a little bit. It’s a funny old game.”
Luke Littler had almost raised the roof earlier in the night when he fell just short of a perfect leg, failing to pin double 12.
But the 17-year-old beat Lourence Ilagan 5-3 to secure a third consecutive win and set up a last-16 showdown with Mike De Decker.
The World Grand Prix winner needed to beat Michael Smith to reach the next stage and he did just that, hammering the former world champion 5-0.
In the opening fixture of the night, Gary Anderson made it three wins from three with victory over Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
Anderson will next play Stephen Bunting, who dispatched Josh Rock 5-2, while Gian van Veen beat Wessel Nijman 5-4 in an all-Dutch affair, Jermaine Wattimena edged Mensur Suljovic 5-4 and Dimitri van den Bergh saw off Keane Barry 5-1.
Grand Slam of Darts: Group Stage results
Group A
Results
- James Wade 3-5 Mickey Mansell
- Luke Humphries 3-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez
- Rowby-John Rodriguez 3-5 Mickey Mansell
- James Wade 5-3 Luke Humphries
- James Wade 5-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
- Luke Humphries 5-1 Mickey Mansell
Group B
Results
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Beau Greaves
- Martin Schindler 2-5 Cameron Menzies
- Danny Noppert 5-4 Cameron Menzies
- Martin Schindler 5-1 Beau Greaves
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Martin Schindler
- Cameron Menzies 1-5 Beau Greaves
Group C
Results
- Rob Cross 5-2 Leonard Gates
- Peter Wright 0-5 Martin Lukeman
- Peter Wright 4-5 Leonard Gates
- Rob Cross 3-5 Martin Lukeman
- Peter Wright 1-5 Rob Cross
- Leonard Gates 3-5 Martin Lukeman
Group D
Results
- Ross Smith 1-5 Ritchie Edhouse
- Dave Chisnall 0-5 Connor Scutt
- Dave Chisnall 2-5 Ross Smith
- Ritchie Edhouse 5-2 Connor Scutt
- Connor Scutt 0-5 Ross Smith
- Dave Chisnall 2-5 Ritchie Edhouse
Group E
Results
- Michael Smith 5-2 Mensur Suljovic
- Mike De Decker 2-5 Jermaine Wattimena
- Mike De Decker 5-2 Mensur Suljovic
- Michael Smith 1-5 Jermaine Wattimena
- Michael Smith 0-5 Mike De Decker
- Mensur Suljovic 4-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Group F
Results
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-1 Lawrence Ilagan
- Luke Littler 5-0 Keane Barry
- Keane Barry 5-3 Lawrence Ilagan
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 1-5 Luke Littler
- Keane Barry 1-5 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Lourence Ilagan 3-5 Luke Littler
Group G
Results
- Michael van Gerwen 5-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- Gary Anderson 5-1 Ryan Joyce
- Ryan Joyce 5-3 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- Michael van Gerwen 4-5 Gary Anderson
- Michael van Gerwen 4-5 Ryan Joyce
- Gary Anderson 5-2 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Group H
Results
- Stephen Bunting 5-4 Wessel Nijman
- Josh Rock 2-5 Gian van Veen
- Josh Rock 5-3 Wessel Nijman
- Stephen Bunting 1-5 Gian van Veen
- Josh Rock 2-5 Stephen Bunting
- Wessel Nijman 4-5 Gian van Veen
Grand Slam of Darts: Knockout Stage draw
LAST 16 (Nov 13-14)
- James Wade v Cameron Menzies
- Danny Noppert v Mickey Mansell
- Martin Lukeman v Ross Smith
- Ritchie Edhouse v Rob Cross
- Jermaine Wattimena v Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Luke Littler v Mike de Decker
- Gary Anderson v Stephen Bunting
- Gian van Veen v Ryan Joyce
QUARTER-FINALS (Nov 15-16)
- W Grp A/RU Group B v W Grp B/RU Group A (QF 1)
- W Grp C/RU Group D v W Grp D/RU Group C (QF 2)
- W Grp E/RU Group F v W Grp F/RU Group E (QF 3)
- W Grp G/RU Group H v W Grp H/RU Group G (QF 4)
SEMI-FINALS (Nov 17)
- Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
- Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4
FINAL (Nov 17)
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
Darts: Related content
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