Luke Littler suffers quarter-final exit as Stephen Bunting wins Bahrain Masters

Luke Littler’s first outing since the World Championship final ended in defeat (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Luke Littler’s first tournament as world champion ended in a quarter-final defeat as Stephen Bunting won the Bahrain Masters.

The 17-year-old, who celebrates his milestone 18th birthday next week, was back at the oche for the first time since his memorable World Championship victory at Alexandra Palace earlier this month.