BETTER LUKE NEXT TIME

Littler shocked on week one as Van Veen gets revenge

- BY DARREN WELLS

LUKE LITTLER slipped to defeat in his opening match of the 2026 Premier League as Gian van Veen took revenge for his World Championships final heartbreak.

In a repeat of the showpiece from Alexandra Palace last month, Dutchman Van Veen put the nightmares of his 7-1 thrashing to the world No.1 behind him to dump Littler out of the quarterfinals in a 6-4 reverse in Newcastle.

Since claiming his second successive world crown, Littler has won the Saudi Darts Masters and the Winmau World Masters in just five weeks of 2026.

But the cracks that appeared in Milton Keynes last week were punished this time by debutant Van Veen, who fought back from 4-3 down to claim a huge scalp on his first appearance in the competition.