In a dramatic opening round at the Machineseeker European Championship, Andrew Gilding shocked Luke Littler, while reigning champion Peter Wright suffered a whitewash loss to Jermaine Wattimena. Gilding triumphed 6-4 over Littler, who had a record-breaking performance at the Czech Darts Open the previous weekend. Despite Littler’s comeback attempt, Gilding kept his composure and progressed with a 98.92 average. Gilding will face Ricardo Pietreczko, who fought back from 5-3 down to defeat Damon Heta in a thrilling deciding leg. Meanwhile, Wright became the sixth consecutive defending champion to lose in the first round, averaging just 74 in a 6-0 defeat to Wattimena.

Other notable results included James Wade’s 6-3 win over Rob Cross, continuing his solid record in Dortmund. World number one Luke Humphries advanced with a dominant 6-2 victory over Nathan Aspinall, averaging 106.49 and hitting seven 180s. Newly-crowned World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker also impressed on his European Championship debut, defeating Josh Rock 6-1. The second round will feature exciting matchups, including Michael van Gerwen vs. Gary Anderson and Humphries against Jonny Clayton, as the tournament continues to deliver thrilling darts action.

Source: PDCTV
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