Michael Smith joins growing list of Grand Slam casualties as Bunting books spot in last 16

Following the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries, Michael Smith too has been eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts, following a whitewash 5-0 defeat at the hands of Mike de Decker in a winner takes all group match.

De Decker started the group stage of the Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-2 defeat against Jermaine Wattimena, but kept himself in with a 5-2 win over Mensur Suljovic. With Smith also losing to Wattimena, De Decker and 'Bullyboy' had to decide in a mutual duel who would advance to the knockout stage with 'The Machine Gun'.

However, there was not a moment of excitement. Smith's performance was disappointing, not even getting a dart on the double throughout the match. De Decker opened the match strongly with a 12-darter, and then made it 3-0 with a 15-darter and a 107 finish. With his third dart he hit double 10 in the fourth leg, before De Decker made the final score 5-0 with a 12-darter. With this victory, the darter from Mechelen will face teenage sensation Luke Littler in the last sixteen. 'The Nuke' came through his group easily after victories over Keane Barry (5-0), Dimitri van den Bergh (5-1) and Lourence Ilagan (5-3).

Stephen Bunting was the final player to secure a place in the last sixteen. In a high-stakes game, he was too strong 5-2 to Josh Rock. The latter missed three chances in the fourth leg to take a 3-1 lead. Those proved costly misses. Bunting made it 2-2 and then took a 4-2 lead through two 11-darters. A 12-darter in the seventh leg then gave 'The Bullet' the victory. The reigning Masters champion is in the knockout stage of the Grand Slam of Darts for the fifth time in his career. Bunting will take on two-time world champion Gary Anderson in the second round.