World number one Luke Littler and Merseyside darts ace Stephen Bunting both suffered defeat in Night One in Newcastle and begin their Premier League campaign with no points.
A repeat of the World Championship final saw Gian Van Veen get one back over Littler with a 6-4 win which saw both players far from their best.
“The Nuke” averaged a respectable 96.98 but couldn’t find success on the doubles, averaging just 33.33% on the outer ring throughout ten legs.
Bunting also exited in the Quarter-Finals after falling to a Michael Van Gerwen who brought his A-Game, checking out 6 out of 11 doubles.
“I want to try and stay at the top”
Littler appeared in Lichfield on Monday night, at the Feathers Inn, where he challenged punters to a round of darts.
He said: “Any player wants to be at the top and I obviously want to try and stay at the top, be the best and be the man to beat.”
Night Two in Antwerp won’t be any easier for Littler as he’s set to play Luke Humphries in the Quarter-Finals, who beat him in the Final of last year’s Premier League season.
Humphries recently stated that Littler “better watch his back” ahead of this year’s campaign, as he is determined to retain his title.
“The Bullet” goes head-to-head with Welshman Jonny Clayton, who he’s fell short to three times in their last 5 head-to-heads.
He’ll have a point to prove to a lot of doubters who deem that he didn’t deserve his place in this year’s Premier League line-up.
Bunting previously said: “I always want to be part of the Premier League.”
“I didn’t have the greatest campaign last year but I showed what a fighter I was. I ended up winning a night in Berlin.”
A win for either could avoid them trailing behind what is set to be a very competitive Premier League campaign.
