World Grand Prix Opening Night Drama: Rob Cross Triumphs Over Luke Littler
Luke Littler, despite entering as the pre-tournament favorite, faced a first-round exit in his World Grand Prix debut, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Rob Cross on an eventful opening night in Leicester. The 17-year-old Littler, fresh off winning nine titles in 2024, displayed moments of excellence by hitting six maximums during the match. Despite leveling the match at 1-1 after losing the first set, Littler struggled with the double-start format. This is prepared by SSP.
Rob Cross, the 2018 world champion and No. 4 seed, withstood the pressure and clinched victory with a bullseye in the decisive leg, marking only his third victory in the tournament. Reflecting on his performance, Cross expressed his delight saying, "My record in this tournament isn't great, so I'm delighted to get over that winning line." Having rediscovered his rhythm and with improved confidence, Cross will advance to face Martin Schindler from Germany in the second round.