Luke Littler suffers first-round European Championship defeat

Luke Littler fell to another first-round TV tournament defeat as veteran Andrew Gilding produced an upset win at the European Championship in Dortmund.

The 17-year-old Premier League champion crashed out of the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix events at the first stage in recent months.

Gilding made it an unwanted hat-trick for Littler – 36 years his junior – as the former UK Open champion triumphed 6-4 on the Westfalenhalle stage.

Littler was out sorts in falling 3-0 behind on his European Championship debut, but the Warrington teenager showed his resilience to level at 4-4.

But Littler missed double 18 for a 156 finish and Gilding stepped in to win what proved the penultimate leg before closing out the match.

Littler could only record a match average of 95.39 with a checkout rate of 31 per cent.

Reigning champion Peter Wright was hammered 6-0 by Jermaine Wattimena, while world number one Luke Humphries showed his class in overcoming Nathan Aspinall 6-2.

Humphries produced a stunning 106.49 average in hitting seven 180s.

James Wade won the battle of two former European champions with a 6-3 victory over Rob Cross.

Jonny Clayton defeated Chris Dobey 6-4 and Danny Noppert saw off Joe Cullen 6-2.

Newly-crowned World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker cruised past sixth seed Josh Rock 6-1.

Ricardo Pietreczko edged Damon Heta 6-5 to book a last-16 date with Gilding.