James Wade hands Luke Littler first round exit at Players Championship 4

James Wade has started the fourth Players Championship tournament of the year with a victory over the teenage sensation, Luke Littler.

Wade raced into an early 4-1 lead against a surprisingly under-par Littler. The World Darts Championship finalist soon clicked into gear however and forced a deciding leg. In that decider though it was experience who prevailed with Wade booking his place in round 2.

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Elsewhere in the early results, Jitse van der Wal caused a surprise by eliminating Masters champion Stephen Bunting. It was 6-3 for the new Dutch Tour Card holder. Gian van Veen recorded a big 6-1 victory over Jeffrey de Graaf, while Maik Kuivenhoven won 6-3 over Daryl Gurney.

Dimitri van den Bergh sidelined former world champion Steve Beaton 6-4, while Mario Vandenbogaerde took a 6-4 win against Jose de Sousa. Kim Huybrechts lost 6-2 to Ryan Joyce, while a 109.23 average from Mike de Decker proved insufficient for a win over Steve Lennon. The Irishman won the encounter 6-4 thanks to an average of 110.83 per turn.