Teenage sensation Luke Littler continued his quest for total darting domination, adding the World Grand Prix trophy to his glittering collection of silverware.
It’s almost unfathomable to think that less than two years ago, the lad hadn’t even played in a PDC TV major. Fast forward to now, and there’s barely a trophy he hasn’t lifted.
The World Champion is now one of a three to be in custody of the ‘Big 5’ PDC ranking titles at the same time and has the chance to win them all in succession, in the same season, and calendar year!
In fact, if Littler conquers Dortmund and Minehead over the next few weeks, he’ll have completed the full set.
Having crashed out at the first hurdle last year to Rob Cross on his Grand Prix debut, The Nuke was determined to put things right. And since this was one of the few titles not yet ticked off his list, the rest of the field had every reason to worry.
The first-round draw threw up a nightmare pairing that neither Littler nor Gian van Veen would have wanted – two future serial winners and the last two PDC World Youth Champions colliding early. Sadly, one had to go home, and after what might go down as a contender for the greatest match in Grand Prix history, it was the Dutchman who drew the short straw.
You had to feel for Van Veen – not only did he draw the World Champion early doors, but he also set a record tournament average against him and still didn’t win a set. Yes, really. The 23-year-old soared to the top of the stats list but would have happily swapped it for a scrappy 90 average and a win. Unfortunately, history will show his name in the books, but it’s not exactly a record he’ll wear like a badge of honour.
From there, the Warrington wonderkid barely broke stride, swatting aside reigning champ Mike De Decker like an irritating Belgian wasp. Last year’s winner began his defence brightly but soon fizzled out as Littler hit top gear. Then came a quite magnificent comeback from 2–0 down against Gerwyn Price, sealed by a breathtaking 152 checkout. The following day, he sent home the other world-class Welshman, Jonny Clayton, in far less dramatic fashion – a dominant 5–1 thrashing that booked his spot in the finale.
Up in the top half of the draw, world number one Luke Humphries was making serene progress of his own. He opened with a tricky tie against Nathan Aspinall and came through unscathed without dropping a set. The Berkshire star then fended off solid efforts from Krzysztof Ratajski and Cameron Menzies, both by 3–1 scorelines.
While Littler seemed to be floating effortlessly toward the final, Humphries found himself in a full-on scrap with a resurgent Danny Noppert. The Dutchman threw everything he had at the former World Champion, but Cool Hand held firm to reach yet another final – and set up what many were billing as the dream showdown: Littler vs Humphries VI, the latest chapter in darts’ newest blockbuster rivalry.
Fans, pundits, and neutrals alike were expecting a classic – and it looked that way early on. The opening four sets all went to deciding legs… and Littler won every single one. That’s what you call timing. The teenager even teased a double-in nine-darter in set three, missing the bull for yet another magical moment.
In this format, it’s clutch moments make the difference, and Littler owned them. Humphries, for all his brilliance, found himself staring at a 4–0 hole in a race to six – and when your opponent is a tungsten wrecking ball in human form, that’s a mountain with no summit.
But champions don’t quit. Humphries dug deep, pulled one set back, and finally got a mark on the board. Yet Littler quickly slammed the door shut, restoring his cushion to 5–1 and leaving Cool Hand needing a comeback of biblical proportions. Moments later, it was all over.
To put things in perspective: as far as TV ranking majors go, Jonny Clayton remains the only player to have beaten Littler this year. That was back in January at the World Masters, where the teenager still averaged 108.5. Even Gian van Veen can take some comfort in knowing he’s not the only man who’s played brilliantly and still lost to the boy wonder.
The hugely busy autumn/winter period offers still more record smashing opportunity in what may prove to be a truly unique season.
—–ENDS—–
Originally published in Darts World Magazine (591)
Images: PDC / Taylor Lanning