Luke Littler hits nine-darter on way to Players Championship debut triumph
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has won the opening Players Championship event of the season, hitting a nine-darter on the way to a stunning victory on his debut in the competition.
After landing the nine-dart finish against Michele Turetta in one of the earlier rounds, 17-year-old Littler dug deep to beat Ryan Searle 8-7 in a thrilling final. Despite Searle edging the averages by 111.71 to 109.64, Littler won the deciding leg in Wigan to capture the £15,000 winner’s purse and a first PDC Pro Tour ranking title.
“I know my game is there, I know I can beat anyone, and I’m really happy to have won,” said Littler, whose run to the final of the world championship at the turn of the year earned him his first Pro Tour card.
“Me and my manager know what I have to do to qualify for the World
Matchplay and the World Grand Prix,” Littler added. “I want to try and qualify for everything, and I’ve just got to play my game. I’m taking it in my stride. It takes huge pressure off me, and now hopefully I can settle and enjoy it.”
Littler will move into the top 30 on the PDC’s Order of Merit after winning the Bahrain Masters, where he hit another nine-darter, and reaching the final of the Dutch Masters in January. The Warrington player has also impressed in the Premier League, reaching the semi-final and final on the first two match nights in Cardiff and Berlin.
“The Nuke” beat Jim Williams 6-1 and Luke Woodhouse 6-3 on Monday before his nine-darter in a 6-1 rout of Italy’s Turetta. Littler then defeated Cameron Menzies 6-2, beat James Hurrell 6-3 in the quarter-finals and then edged out Alan Soutar 7-6 in the semis to set up the final with Searle, the world No 20.
Gerwyn Price, meanwhile, withdrew halfway through his third-round match against Brendan Dolan, before complaining about “absolutely pathetic conditions” at the event. Price was trailing 4-2 on sets in a best-of-11 game when he forfeited the match at Robin Park Tennis Centre.
The former world champion later posted on Instagram: “Absolutely pathetic conditions, travel all the way to Wigan to play in a professional game and we have to play in less than amateur conditions.”
“Never have ever given a game up, well that’s me out tomorrow as well,” the Welshman added. “Gutted because my game was really good today and I rely on these events so much.” The second Players Championship event of the season takes place at the same venue on Tuesday.
“Gerwyn decided not to complete his match against Brendan Dolan and left the venue immediately,” a PDC spokesperson said. “We understand he felt the venue was cold.”