Littler was one of the best players last week in Prague breaking all records but he has failed to perform in a major again. It is a third consecutive First Round exit in a ranked TV major as 'Goldfinger' sealed a shock 6-4 victory with a 99 average.
Gilding led from the start pinning a 76 checkout and then continued from there with double 10 for 2-0. The misery continued for Littler with Gilding hitting a 79 checkout to go halfway to the finish.
Littler finally got a leg on the board 3-1 and reduced it to 3-2 with a 72 checkout. Littler hit double 10 to make it 3-3. Gilding hit an 83 checkout to make it 4-3. Gilding led at 5-4 on double 20. 'Goldfinger' then sealed the win with a 47 checkout on double 20.
Jermaine Wattimena before that pummelled Peter Wright who is defending champion in a 6-0 win in a remarkable win for 'Machine Gun' as 'Snakebite' miserably averaged just 74.8.
He fell to a limp defeat in his title defence. Wattimena produced a 177 followed by a stunning combination finish of 62 to go 3-0 up. Wright continued to miss chances as Wattimena went 4-0 up. Wright was way back next leg though as the Dutchman hit 55 to go 5-0 up. He produced a superb conclusion to the tie. Wright hit 140 to leave 66 but Wattimena pinned 100 for the win. He faces James Wade, while next up for Gilding it will be Ricardo Pietreczko.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.