Luke Humphries battles past Beau Greaves at the UK Open as Littler edges out Wright in epic decider

Luke Humphries defied a magnificent debut display from Beau Greaves to book his place in the Last 32 of the UK Open, as Luke Littler edged out Peter Wright in a deciding-leg thriller on Friday.

Day One of the prestigious major at Butlin’s Minehead saw 126 matches contested across eight stages on a marathon day of action.

The opening four rounds were held across two sessions, as the 158-player field was whittled down to 32 by the conclusion of Friday’s play.

World number one Humphries was amongst the star attractions in the evening session, though he was forced to recover from 7-5 down to deny three-time Women’s World Champion Greaves.

The 21-year-old became the first woman to win through three rounds at the UK Open, overcoming Stefan Bellmont, Rhys Griffin and Mickey Mansell with a trio of sensational displays during the afternoon session.

Aided by 126 and 124 checkouts, Greaves seized the early initiative against Humphries, and at one stage looked poised to complete a historic victory.

However, Humphries showed his class in the latter stages, responding with a brilliant five-leg burst to triumph 10-7 with a 102.5 average.

“Beau belongs in big time darts,” insisted Humphries, a two-time UK Open runner-up.

“She’s a massive asset to the sport. The women’s game is growing massively and Beau has played a big part in that.

“She really tested me there, and if that was a Premier League format, she would have beaten me!

“Over the next few years I’m sure I am going to be sharing the stage with Beau a lot more.”

World Champion Littler also won through a thrilling tie on the Main Stage, averaging 108.7 to defeat 2017 UK Open champion Wright in a gripping decider.

Wright landed a hat-trick of ton-plus checkouts to set up a grandstand climax, only for the teenage superstar to keep his cool and close out victory with a 13-dart break.

“You can never expect a bad game from Peter,” admitted Littler, a quarter-finalist at this event 12 months ago.

“Peter played really well to win those two legs on the bounce, and I had to find the gears I know I’ve got.

“I like it in Minehead. I’ve got a good record here, and hopefully I can go deep in this competition this weekend.”

Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen survived a scare in his all-Dutch tie against Dirk van Duijvenbode by eventually closing out a 10-8 success, having led 7-3 at one stage.

Elsewhere, reigning champion Dimitri Van den Bergh kicked off his title defence with a hard-fought 10-6 win over two-time champion Raymond van Barneveld.

Van den Bergh will be joined in round five by former winners Nathan Aspinall, Danny Noppert and James Wade, who dumped out Martin Lukeman, Daryl Gurney and William Borland respectively.

However, Scottish icon Gary Anderson and 2023 winner Andrew Gilding both crashed out at the fourth round stage, succumbing to Jonny Clayton and Ryan Joyce respectively.

Two-time runner-up Gerwyn Price was denied by Connor Scutt in an exhilarating last-leg decider, despite overturning a 7-2 deficit to level at nine apiece.

Chris Dobey reeled off seven straight legs from 6-3 down to account for Stephen Bunting in an all-Premier League affair, with Rob Cross running out a comfortable 10-4 winner against Thomas Lovely.

Former World Champion Michael Smith enjoyed a welcome return to winning ways in Minehead, seeing off Kevin Doets 10-6 to avenge his World Championship defeat to the Dutchman in December.

Dave Chisnall sealed his progress with a narrow 10-9 win over Ricky Evans, as Madars Razma and Danny Lauby also won through dramatic last-leg tussles on the outer boards in round four.

Damon Heta, semi-finalist last year, thrashed Kim Huybrechts 10-2 to confirm his place in Saturday’s fifth round, advancing alongside Dutch duo Gian van Veen and Jermaine Wattimena.

Alan Soutar and Cameron Menzies are left flying for the flag for Scottish darts, while Josh Rock preserved Northern Irish hopes with a convincing 10-5 win over Justin Hood.

Krzysztof Ratajski swept aside Joe Cullen to kick off his campaign in style on Friday evening, as German number one Martin Schindler, Somerset star Ryan Searle and former European Champion Ross Smith also progressed.

Former UK Open semi-finalists Mensur Suljovic and William O’Connor will both feature in round five, with the Austrian defeating Nathan Rafferty and Luke Woodhouse on Friday and the Irish star seeing off Tom Sykes and Scott Williams.

World Youth Championship runner-up Jurjen van der Velde is the solitary representative from Round One still standing in Minehead, as he recorded four straight victories to break new ground on the big stage – defeating Titus Kanik, Bradley Brooks, Keane Barry and Adam Lipscombe on Friday.

Robert Owen, Stephen Burton and Ireland’s Dylan Slevin complete the fifth round line-up, after claiming a brace of victories across a gruelling day of action.

German ace Niko Springer produced the performance of the opening day, averaging 115.92 in his first round demolition of Norway’s Cor Dekker, before losing out to Slevin in Round Three.

UK Open 2025 Day One Results

Friday February 28

Afternoon Session

Main Stage
Mike Gillet 2-6 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R1)
Beau Greaves 6-1 Stefan Bellmont (R1)
William Borland 6-2 Brett Claydon (R2)
Darren Beveridge 6-4 James Hurrell (R2)
Thibault Tricole 1-6 Tom Sykes (R2)
Jelle Klaasen 4-6 Adam Lipscombe (R2)
Scott Williams 6-4 Wessel Nijman (R3)
Ricky Evans 6-5 Gabriel Clemens (R3)
Graham Usher 4-6 Raymond van Barneveld (R3)
Beau Greaves 6-2 Mickey Mansell (R3)

Stage Two
Cor Dekker 2-6 Niko Springer (R1)
Wesley Plaisier 1-6 Cam Crabtree (R1)
Sebastian Bialecki 6-2 Viktor Tingstrom (R1)
Shaun Fox 6-0 Max Hopp (R1)
Radek Szaganski 6-5 Benjamin Reus (R2)
Aden Kirk 2-6 Haupai Puha (R2)
Chris Landman 1-6 Christian Kist (R2)
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Florian Hempel (R3)
Madars Razma 6-1 Ryan Meikle (R3)
Lukas Wenig 4-6 Kim Huybrechts (R3)

Stage Three
Darryl Pilgrim 6-3 Chris Hartrey (R1)
Paul Rowley 6-1 Karel Sedlacek (R1)
Adam Lipscombe 6-0 Marc Dewsbury (R1)
Greg Ritchie 6-3 Jamie Kelling (R1)
Danny van Trijp 6-5 Henry Coates (R1)
George Killington 6-5 Owen Bates (R2)
Alexander Merkx 3-6 Nathan Girvan (R2)
Darius Labanauskas 5-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde (R2)
Joshua Richardson 5-6 Marvin van Velzen (R2)
Callan Rydz 0-6 Alan Soutar (R3)
Tom Sykes 4-6 William O’Connor (R3)
Jose de Sousa 6-4 Jimmy van Schie (R3)
Ian White 4-6 Adam Lipscombe (R3)

Stage Four
Simon Stevenson 6-0 Jules van Dongen (R1)
Dennie Olde Kalter 2-6 Andy Boulton (R1)
Christopher Wickenden 3-6 Nathan Girvan (R1)
Oskar Lukasiak 1-6 Thomas Lovely (R1)
Marvin van Velzen 6-3 Tom Bissell (R1)
Steve Lennon 5-6 Dom Taylor (R2)
Martijn Dragt 6-4 Graham Hall (R2)
Shaun Fox 3-6 Justin Hood (R2)
Berry van Peer 6-3 Danny van Trijp (R2)
Rob Owen 6-5 Niels Zonneveld (R3)
Keane Barry 3-6 Jurjen van der Velde (R3)
Kevin Doets 6-2 Greg Ritchie (R3)
Haupia Puha 6-4 Christian Kist (R3)

Stage Five
Tommy Lishman 6-4 Kai Gotthardt (R1)
Christian Kist 6-4 Daniel Perry (R1)
Maximilian Czerwinski 4-6 Maik Kuivenhoven (R1)
Jimmy van Schie 6-4 Adam Paxton (R1)
Lukas Wenig 6-5 Paul Rowley (R2)
Andreas Harrysson 2-6 Dominik Gruellich (R2)
Graham Usher 6-2 Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (R2)
Andy Baetens 1-6 Cam Crabtree (R2)
Jim Williams 5-6 Martin Lukeman (R3)
Dom Taylor 5-6 Cameron Menzies (R3)
Matthew Dennant 3-6 Thomas Lovely (R3)
Justin Hood 6-3 Darren Beveridge (R3)

Stage Six
Tavis Dudeney 0-6 Graham Hall (R1)
John Henderson 3-6 Graham Usher (R1)
Danny Jansen 3-6 Dominik Gruellich (R1)
Derek Coulson 4-6 Darius Labanauskas (R1)
Tommy Lishman 6-5 Michele Turetta (R2)
Adam Hunt 6-4 Maik Kuivenhoven (R2)
Jurjen van der Velde 6-2 Bradley Brooks (R2)
Jim Long 4-6 Nathan Rafferty (R2)
Darryl Pilgrim 3-6 Danny Lauby (R3)
Sebastian Bialecki 3-6 Luke Woodhouse (R3)
Nathan Girvan 5-6 Matt Campbell (R3)
Radek Szaganski 6-4 Cam Crabtree (R3)

Stage Seven
Leon Weber 1-6 Alexander Merkx (R1)
Adam Warner 1-6 Tommy Morris (R1)
Jurjen van der Velde 6-2 Tytus Kanik (R1)
Lee Cocks 1-6 Stefaan Henderyck (R1)
Niko Springer 6-5 Patrick Geeraets (R2)
Matthew Dennant 6-3 Andy Boulton (R2)
Thomas Lovely 6-4 Stefaan Henderyck (R2)
Rhys Griffin 1-6 Beau Greaves (R2)
Nick Kenny 6-3 Dominik Gruellich (R3)
Martijn Dragt 5-6 William Borland (R3)
Mensur Suljovic 6-1 Nathan Rafferty (R3)
Berry van Peer 3-6 Connor Scutt (R3)

Stage Eight
Scott Baker 3-6 Andreas Harrysson (R1)
Owen Roelofs 5-6 Tom Sykes (R1)
Charlie Manby 4-6 Aden Kirk (R1)
Pero Ljubic 4-6 Jim Long (R1)
Jitse van der Wal 2-6 Darryl Pilgrim (R2)
Robert Grundy 4-6 Sebastian Bialecki (R2)
Jimmy van Schie 6-5 Simon Stevenson (R2)
Tommy Morris 1-6 Greg Ritchie (R2)
Niko Springer 5-6 Dylan Slevin (R3)
Tommy Lishman 3-6 Stephen Burton (R3)
Richard Veenstra 4-6 Mario Vandenbogaerde (R3)
Marvin van Velzen 4-6 George Killington (R3)

Evening Session

Fourth Round

Main Stage
Jonny Clayton 10-3 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 9-10 Luke Littler
Beau Greaves 7-10 Luke Humphries
Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Dirk van Duijvenbode

Stage Two
Dave Chisnall 10-9 Ricky Evans
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Stephen Bunting 6-10 Chris Dobey
Gerwyn Price 9-10 Connor Scutt

Stage Three
Stephen Burton 10-6 Radek Szaganski
Ryan Searle 10-6 Adam Hunt
Martin Schindler 10-7 Mario Vandenbogaerde
Kevin Doets 6-10 Michael Smith

Stage Four
Daryl Gurney 2-10 Danny Noppert
Scott Williams 7-10 William O’Connor
Alan Soutar 10-7 Matt Campbell
Cameron Menzies 10-4 Mike De Decker

Stage Five
Joe Cullen 4-10 Krzysztof Ratajski
Martin Lukeman 5-10 Nathan Aspinall
Dylan Slevin 10-7 Haupai Puha
James Wade 10-3 William Borland

Stage Six
Luke Woodhouse 6-10 Mensur Suljovic
Jose de Sousa 7-10 Ross Smith
Jurjen van der Velde 10-6 Adam Lipscombe
Justin Hood 5-10 Josh Rock

Stage Seven
Brendan Dolan 9-10 Danny Lauby
Madars Razma 10-9 Ricardo Pietreczko
Damon Heta 10-2 Kim Huybrechts
Thomas Lovely 4-10 Rob Cross

Stage Eight
Ritchie Edhouse 6-10 Jermaine Wattimena
Nick Kenny 4-10 Gian van Veen
Ryan Joyce 10-8 Andrew Gilding
Robert Owen 10-7 George Killington