Andrew Gilding pulled off a stunning upset in the opening round of the 2024 European Championship on Friday night, defeating Luke Littler 6-3. Gilding will now face home crowd favorite Ricardo Pietreczko in the second round in Dortmund.
From the outset, Gilding took control, starting with a 76 checkout and following up with a double 10 to lead 2-0. He continued to apply pressure with a 79 checkout, pushing the score to 3-0 before Littler finally got on the board. Littler then reduced the gap to 3-2 with a 72 checkout and leveled the match at 3-3 after hitting double 10. However, Gilding responded with an 83 checkout to regain the lead at 4-3 and went ahead 5-4 with another double 20. He ultimately sealed the victory with a 47 checkout on double 20.
“It’s the last thing I expected, especially with the way Luke has played lately,” Gilding said in his post-match press conference, clearly surprised by his success. This win holds special significance for Gilding, who faced Littler at the Alexandra Palace last December and was defeated. “It’s the third time I’ve played Luke, and tonight it was a case of third time lucky!” he remarked, adding, “This is a huge win for me. I was thinking about my flight home tomorrow, but maybe that helped me relax!”
While Littler’s loss is considered shocking in modern darts, it’s important to recognize Gilding’s credentials. A former UK Open champion, he has defeated top players like Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Rob Cross, and Gary Anderson in major tournaments over the past couple of years. To capture a second major title in Dortmund, however, Gilding will need to navigate both the challenge of Pietreczko and the support of the local crowd.
