Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam Average Stuns
The Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam performance on Saturday afternoon changed the feel of the whole tournament before it had properly begun. On the opening day of the 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, Aspinall beat Maik Kuivenhoven 5-1 in Group P. At 111.68, the average was the highest televised average of Aspinall’s career, and it put him at the top of the day-one list.
On this page
- Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam Average: How the 5-1 Win Unfolded
- Seven Darts Into a Nine-Darter
- Back-to-Back Checkouts of 149 and 120
- The Three Biggest Averages of Day One
- Group P: What the Win Means for Aspinall
- The New Format Is “Absolutely Brutal”
- What Happens Next in Group P
- The Tournament Around Aspinall’s Win
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Aspinall arrived as the 11th seed and as a former Grand Slam runner-up, having reached the final in 2022. That made him one of the players to watch in Group P, but the scale of his start still surprised. Against Kuivenhoven, he controlled the match from the early legs, scoring heavily, finishing clinically and barely giving his opponent a chance to settle.
Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam Average: How the 5-1 Win Unfolded
The headline numbers from the Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam win are simple: Aspinall 5, Kuivenhoven 1, in a best-of-nine-legs group match on Saturday 14 November. Yet a big average is never just a number on a screen. It comes from visit after visit in which the scoring stays high and the finishing stays clean. To average more than 111, a player must hit treble 20 with remarkable regularity and then take out the finish when the chance comes.
That is what Aspinall did. A 5-1 scoreline in a race to five legs can flatter the winner if the legs are scrappy, but this match was not scrappy. Aspinall’s scoring kept him ahead in the legs, and his finishing kept Kuivenhoven from finding a way back. When a player averages 111.68, his opponent needs something close to perfection simply to stay in touch, and Kuivenhoven could not produce it often enough.
For readers following the tournament from the start, the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 day two guide sets out how the event continues after the opening day, while the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 groups guide explains all sixteen groups and the path each group winner must take to the last 16.
Seven Darts Into a Nine-Darter
One of the most eye-catching moments came when Aspinall went seven darts into a nine-darter. A nine-darter is a perfect leg: nine darts, the minimum possible, to go from 501 to zero.
To go seven darts into a nine-darter, a player must start the leg almost perfectly. The first six darts must leave a finish that can be completed in three darts, and the seventh must keep that possibility alive. At that point, the crowd, the opponent and the player himself all know what is possible. The pressure is immense, because the chance of a perfect leg does not come around often.
Back-to-Back Checkouts of 149 and 120
If the nine-dart attempt showed Aspinall’s scoring power, the back-to-back checkouts of 149 and 120 showed his finishing power. Checkouts are where matches are won and lost, and high checkouts are the hardest finishes of all. A checkout of 149 needs precision on the trebles and then a clean dart at double. A checkout of 120 is another demanding finish, and to produce the two back to back is a sign of a player in complete control.
High finishes matter for two reasons. First, they win legs quickly: a player who takes out 149 does not need extra visits to set up a simpler finish, which saves darts and keeps the average high. Second, they break an opponent’s resistance. When a player scores well but misses doubles, his opponent can steal legs. When he scores well and finishes with 149 and 120, there is no way back in.
The Three Biggest Averages of Day One
Aspinall’s 111.68 was not just the highest average of his own televised career. It was also the highest average of the opening day, and it led a remarkable list. The three biggest averages of day one were Aspinall’s 111.68, Gian van Veen’s 110.51 and Luke Littler’s 109.97. Three players averaging more than 109 on the same day is an extraordinary standard, and it shows how high the level was from the very first session.
Van Veen’s 110.51 came in a 5-2 win over Carl Sneyd, while Littler’s 109.97 came in a 5-2 win over Beau Greaves. Both were impressive in their own right, and both would normally have been the story of the day. That they were not is a measure of how special the Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam display was. He finished ahead of two of the most in-form players in the sport, and he did it in a match he won by four legs.
Readers can follow Littler’s defence in the Luke Littler at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 guide, while the Gian van Veen at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 guide covers Van Veen’s own strong start.
Group P: What the Win Means for Aspinall
Group P contains three players: Aspinall, Karel Sedlacek and Kuivenhoven. Aspinall is the 11th seed, and his win has given him the strongest possible start. In a group of three, the opening result shapes everything that follows. A win puts a player in control of his own fate, while a defeat leaves him needing help from other results.
The format makes that opening win even more important. Only the group winner reaches the last 16, so finishing second is not enough. There is no second chance and no route through as a runner-up. A player must top his group of three, and that means winning matches and, where the group is tied, having the leg difference to finish ahead. A 5-1 win is valuable twice over: it gives Aspinall the win, and a strong leg difference to carry forward.
Kuivenhoven now faces a much harder road. He has lost his opening match heavily, and his next match, against Sedlacek on Sunday afternoon, is one he must win to keep his hopes of topping the group alive. A second defeat would end his chances, while a win would keep the group open. The full background is in the Nathan Aspinall at the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 guide, including his run to the final in 2022.
The New Format Is “Absolutely Brutal”
Aspinall’s own words after the match were as striking as the average. He called the new format “absolutely brutal” and said the opening game was massive, with lots of shocks to come. Those comments carry weight, because they come from a player who has just won 5-1 with a career-best televised average and still felt the need to stress how demanding the event is.
The format is indeed unforgiving. There are 48 players, split into 16 groups of three, and only the group winner reaches the last 16. That is a change from the older structure, in which two players from each group went through, so every group match carries far more weight. A player cannot afford to lose a match and still expect to qualify comfortably. Every leg, visit and checkout can decide between topping the group and going home early.
What Happens Next in Group P
The Group P schedule is straightforward, and the next few days will decide who tops the group. Sedlacek plays Kuivenhoven on Sunday afternoon, and Aspinall plays Sedlacek on Tuesday 17 November. Those two matches, with the result already played, will determine the group winner.
The Tuesday match is the final group fixture, and it could decide the group. If Aspinall wins, he will have won both group matches and will top the group outright. If Sedlacek wins, the group will be decided across all three matches, and leg difference could become important. That is why the 5-1 win matters so much: a four-leg margin gives Aspinall a cushion if the group finishes level on wins.
The reward for topping the group is a place in the last 16, where the Group P winner plays the Group O winner on Thursday 19 November. The last 16 is best of 19 legs, a much longer format, and it marks the start of the knockout stage. The Grand Slam of Darts 2026 schedule sets out the full timetable through to the final on Sunday 22 November.
The Tournament Around Aspinall’s Win
Aspinall’s performance was the highlight of the opening day, but it was part of a wider tournament rich in storylines. The 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts runs from 14 to 22 November 2026 at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, with 48 players competing for a prize fund of one million pounds. The winner receives 200,000 pounds, the runner-up 100,000 pounds, losing semi-finalists 60,000 pounds each, losing quarter-finalists 35,000 pounds each, and losing last-16 players 20,000 pounds each. Second in a group receives 12,500 pounds, and third receives 5,000 pounds.
The defending champion is Luke Littler, who won in 2024 and again in 2025, beating Luke Humphries 16-11 in the 2025 final. Littler is now 15 Grand Slam matches unbeaten, and his 109.97 average in a 5-2 win over Beau Greaves showed he has started his defence in strong form. Van Veen’s 110.51 in a 5-2 win over Carl Sneyd was another reminder of the depth in the field. After the groups, the last 16 is best of 19 legs on 18 and 19 November, the quarter-finals best of 31 on 20 and 21 November, and the semi-finals and final best of 31 on Sunday 22 November.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Nathan Aspinall’s average against Maik Kuivenhoven?
Nathan Aspinall averaged 111.68 in his 5-1 win over Maik Kuivenhoven on Saturday 14 November. It was the highest televised average of his career, and the highest average of the opening day.
Who did Nathan Aspinall beat in his opening Grand Slam match?
Aspinall beat Maik Kuivenhoven 5-1 in Group P on Saturday 14 November. The match was best of nine legs, and Aspinall went seven darts into a nine-darter, with back-to-back checkouts of 149 and 120.
What is the Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam record?
The Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam average is the highest televised average of Aspinall’s career. It came in his opening Group P match against Kuivenhoven in Wolverhampton, and it was the biggest average of day one, ahead of Gian van Veen’s 110.51 and Luke Littler’s 109.97.
Who else is in Group P with Nathan Aspinall?
Group P contains Nathan Aspinall, Karel Sedlacek and Maik Kuivenhoven. Aspinall is seeded 11th. Only the group winner reaches the last 16, so Aspinall must top the group to progress.
When does Nathan Aspinall play next at the Grand Slam?
Aspinall plays Karel Sedlacek on Tuesday 17 November in the final Group P match. Before that, Sedlacek plays Kuivenhoven on Sunday afternoon. The Group P winner plays the Group O winner in the last 16 on Thursday 19 November.
What did Nathan Aspinall say about the new Grand Slam format?
Aspinall called the new format “absolutely brutal” and said the opening game was massive, with lots of shocks to come. Only the group winner reaches the last 16, and group matches are best of nine legs, so every match carries far more weight than before.
Conclusion
The Nathan Aspinall 111.68 Grand Slam win over Maik Kuivenhoven will be remembered as one of the highlights of the opening day in Wolverhampton. A 5-1 victory, a career-best televised average, a seven-dart move towards a nine-darter and back-to-back checkouts of 149 and 120 gave Aspinall the perfect start to his Group P campaign. He now takes a win, a strong leg difference and real confidence into his match against Karel Sedlacek on Tuesday 17 November, with a last-16 place against the Group O winner on Thursday 19 November at stake. The format is, in his own words, “absolutely brutal”, but on the evidence of the opening day, Aspinall has given himself the best possible platform.
