Luke Littler began the defence of his Polish Masters title with a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Karel Sedlacek on the opening night in Gliwice. The world champion lost the opening leg but quickly leveled the score. Despite his efforts, Littler struggled to shake off the determined Czech player, who twice leveled the match at 2-2 and 3-3.

The 18-year-old Littler eventually pulled ahead, including a remarkable 120 checkout to make it 5-3. Even then, Sedlacek missed a crucial double 16 to take the match to a deciding leg, allowing Littler to seal the victory with a double top.

Littler will now face Nathan Aspinall in Saturday's quarter-final, who also secured a 6-4 win over Radek Szaganski. In other matches, Michael van Gerwen defeated Croatia's Pero Ljubic 6-4, while Stephen Bunting overcame Tytus Kanik 6-3.

Chris Dobey and Welshman Gerwyn Price also claimed victories, but Jonny Clayton was eliminated after a 6-3 loss to Krzysztof Ratajski.

This opening night set the stage for an exciting tournament, with top players showcasing their skills and determination in the quest for the Polish Masters title.