Luke Littler shines with record-breaking start at darts world championship
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Luke Littler fired in four maximum 180s while winning three consecutive legs in 11, 10, and 11 darts, setting a record set average.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Teenage sensation Luke “The Nuke” Littler set a tournament record with a 140.91 set average as he secured a second-round win in the PDC World Championships with a 3-1 victory over fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle late on Dec 21.
The 17-year-old came close to winning the last world championship but lost in the final to Luke Humphries.
Tournament favourite Littler fired in four maximum 180s while winning three consecutive legs in 11, 10, and 11 darts, setting a record set average and finishing with an overall average of 100.85.
He also came close to a nine-dart finish during the fourth and final set.
In the other evening session matchups, Dutchmen Danny Noppert and former world champion Raymond van Barneveld lost 3-1 to England’s Ryan Joyce and Wales’ Nick Kenny respectively. Australia’s Damon Heta beat England’s Connor Scutt by the same score.
“That was probably the toughest game I’ve ever played... I don’t know where I pulled that last set from, but I just had to fight until the end,” Littler said in front of 3,000 fans at Alexandra Palace in north London.
“When I got on that stage, I felt really nervous... I know I am the favourite, but you have to focus on winning your first game, and that’s what I did tonight. Like I said, it’s the worst game I’ve played. I’ve never felt anything like that tonight.”
The teenager later told Sky Sports: “It’s probably the first and the biggest time it (pressure) has hit me. The Premier League, first night against Luke Humphries, I was nervous then, but throughout the year – all the European tours, all the Majors I’ve played – I’ve been fine.
“Coming here, leading up to it, fine. As soon as George Noble (referee) said ‘game on’, I was just like – couldn’t throw them.”
The world No. 4 from Warrington in the north-west of England has already won the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts in 2024 and is among the favourites to win the world championship.
Such is his profile that last week, he finished runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year rankings, behind Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.
Canadian former world champion John Part has suggested that Littler is dealing with “ridiculous” levels of pressure.
On Dec 21, the teen cut his on-stage interview short after breaking down in tears.
The 58-year-old told Sky Sports: “I don’t think anyone can understand how much pressure he has on him. There might be a few people that played the game that might understand it, but certainly no one’s ever had to deal with it at his age.”
In the last 32, Littler will face Ian White after the 54-year-old Englishman stunned compatriot Ritchie Edhouse, the European champion, 3-1 on Dec 22.
White told Sky Sports: “You want to cause an upset. I’m all for it. Luke Littler has done everything for this sport at the moment.”
Also progressing were England’s Ryan Searle and Joe Cullen, and Latvian Madars Razma. REUTERS
