Littler’s Record-Breaking Performance
Luke Littler successfully defended his World Matchplay title in Blackpool, defeating Gerwyn Price 18-9. The 19-year-old became the fourth player to win consecutive Matchplay titles. Littler’s performance included breaking two significant records previously held by Phil Taylor.
Littler concluded the week with an average of 111.04, surpassing Taylor’s 2010 tournament record of 106.31. In the final match, he achieved an average of 111.53, setting a new record for the final, exceeding Taylor’s 111.23 from 2013 against Adrian Lewis.
During the final, Littler also hit 12 180s, establishing a new tournament record of 66 maximums, which surpassed his own total from the previous year. This victory extends his winning streak in longer-format matches (20 or more legs) to 29 consecutive wins.
Littler earned £225,000 in prize money from the event, bringing his total on the PDC’s two-year order of merit to £3,143,500. This amount is £2.13m more than the player in second place, Luke Humphries.
The Path to the Final
In the semi-finals, Littler advanced by defeating Dirk van Duijvenbode 17-5. He established an early lead, breaking throw in the opening leg and quickly moving to a 4-0 advantage. Littler maintained his strong form, securing a 12-3 lead at the interval with a 130 checkout.
Van Duijvenbode had reached his first World Matchplay semi-final after victories over Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson. Despite a 145 finish in the 11th leg, he was unable to counter Littler’s consistent scoring. Littler sealed his place in the final by taking out double 20, finishing with a match average of 110 and 16 maximums.
Price secured his spot in the final by overcoming world number three Gian van Veen 17-10 in the other semi-final. Price took an early 4-1 lead with a 125 checkout. Although Van Veen managed to win three consecutive legs to close the gap to 6-4, Price regained control, eventually leading 15-9 before winning the match by pinning double top.
Future Aspirations
Following his victory, Littler expressed his ambition to achieve a clean sweep of the PDC ranking titles within the calendar year, a feat that has not been accomplished before. This goal presents a challenge, particularly with the Players Championship Finals in November.
To qualify for the Players Championship Finals, Littler would likely need to participate in, and potentially win, several Pro Tour events. He has not competed in the first 24 events and has withdrawn from two scheduled for Hildesheim. This leaves eight remaining events in Minehead for him to feature in. Qualification for the Players Championship Finals requires being among the top 64 players, with the current 64th spot holding £22,750 in prize money. A win in a Pro Tour event is worth £15,000, and a runner-up position is worth £10,000.
Former BDO world champion Mark Webster suggested that he “half expects” Littler to achieve this clean sweep, noting that Littler’s game appears robust across various formats and scenarios.
Price acknowledged Littler’s talent, stating, “Luke is one in a million, I threw everything at him.” He added that Littler is “fantastic for the sport.”
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Source: bbc.co.uk
