Michael van Gerwen thrashed at World Grand Prix as he crashes out in first round

Michael van Gerwen suffered a nightmare early exit at the World Grand Prix, losing to Dirk van Duijvenbode in his opening match. The six-time champion went into the match with high hopes of beating his fellow Dutchman but was handed a brutal reality check. He was nearly whitewashed and only managed to get a couple of legs on the board, losing the match in straight sets.

Van Gerwen was entirely out of sorts as Van Duijvenbode took full control, winning every leg in a dominant opening set. He was one dart away from completing a whitewash but missed the crucial throw, allowing his rival to get himself up and running. It merely delayed the inevitable, though, with Van Duijvenbode eventually finishing the job and booking his place in round two.

It marks the second time in as many years that Van Gerwen has been dumped out of the World Grand Prix in the opening round. The result also means that he remains in serious danger of failing to qualify for the Players Championship Finals.

Van Gerwen currently sits 92nd in the Players Championship Rankings and must break into the top 64 to secure qualification. If he misses out, it would potentially cost him a £120,000 windfall.

It has been a hugely difficult year for Van Gerwen, who started out by losing to Luke Littler in the World Darts Championship final. More recently, he split up with his wife of 10 years and spent time away from darts after confirming the sad news.

He offered an insight into his situation while speaking to Dutch media last month, saying: "I'm just human, you know. At some point, you want to think about nice things again, not just be preoccupied with the mess you're experiencing at that moment.

"I couldn't write this script myself, so I'll have to deal with it in a way I think is right. You could just sit around and grieve all day, but that's pointless. So you do fun things, take time for yourself."

Van Gerwen's crushing defeat at the World Grand Prix came immediately after Littler breezed into the second round with a commanding victory over Gian van Veen.

The teenage world champion was at his brilliant best as he cruised through without getting out of second gear. Afterwards, he sent a stern message to his rivals by vowing to take a 'fiery' approach in his bid for World Grand Prix glory.

"I don't think I could have a lot better there," said Littler on Sky Sports. "I certainly played better than last year. I said I would be fiery and I showed that. I missed a few doubles starting and finishing but overall it was a good performance.

"Gian played his part in a brilliant game. We push each other every time, we play our best darts against each other. Hopefully this is my next major. First round done, on to the next one."