World champion Luke Littler suffered a stunning defeat on the opening night of the 2026 BetMGM Premier League Darts in Newcastle.
The 19-year-old sensation, who claimed the Premier League title on his debut back in 2024, fell 6-4 to Dutch newcomer Gian van Veen in their quarter-final clash.
It was sweet revenge for Van Veen, who lost to Littler in the Paddy Power PDC World Championship final at Alexandra Palace just a week ago.
The loss marks only Littler's second defeat since October, a remarkable run that came to an abrupt end against the Premier League debutant.
Gian van Veen landed revenge on Luke Littler with a 6-4 win
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The Nuke had been desperate to reclaim the trophy after Luke Humphries beat him in last year's competition.
Neither player was at their sharpest, with both averaging well below 100 throughout the contest.
Littler squandered several chances in the opening stages, and it nearly cost him dearly in the sixth leg.
Van Veen had three attempts at double 16 to break the world number one's throw but couldn't find the target.
Luke Littler was uncharacteristically below-par in Newcastle
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The Nuke managed to cling on and responded brilliantly at 3-3, firing six perfect darts including back-to-back 180s to break his opponent's throw.
He fell short of completing a nine-darter but still moved ahead 4-3.
Then came the collapse – Littler simply couldn't win another leg as Van Veen reeled off three straight to seal the upset.
Van Veen's reward is a semi-final showdown with Jonny Clayton later this evening.
Littler was left watching from the sidelines alongside Josh Rock, who also had a night to forget.
Gian van Veen was appearing in his Premier League debut, knocking out the world champion
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Rock went down 6-2 to an impressive Clayton in the opening match of the 2026 Premier League.
There was drama elsewhere too, as Gerwyn Price had two match darts in the deciding leg against Luke Humphries but couldn't convert.
The Iceman's misses proved costly as Humphries held his nerve to progress 6-5.
It's been quite the start to this year's Premier League, with the world champion already out and plenty of upsets to keep fans entertained.