Luke Littler made more darting history with Betfred World Matchplay victory, completing the Triple Crown and reaching new heights in another record-breaking display.
The world champion claimed the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time after an impressive 18-13 victory over James Wade, where he fired a 107.24 average and posted 64 180s across the tournament to shatter Adrian Lewis’ previous record.
Littler, 18, becomes the youngest player to win in Blackpool and also the youngest to complete the Triple Crown, joining Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries as the only players to win the World Championship, World Matchplay and Premier League.
Luke Littler became the youngest player to complete the Triple Crown
The teenager trailed by five legs in three of his five matches, producing impressive fightbacks against Jermaine Wattimena in the second round and Josh Rock – where he fired a nine-dart leg – in the semi-finals before having to do the same against Wade.
Littler also prevailed in a 30-leg epic against Andrew Gilding in the quarter-finals, having thrashed Ryan Searle with a 109 average in his opening match, with the teenager impressing in different ways throughout the tournament.
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Watch the winning moment as Luke Littler sealed his maiden World Matchplay title with a 18-13 victory over former youngest champion James Wade
“He has just been incredible all week and we’ve learned this week he can deal with absolutely anything,” former world champion Mark Webster told Sky Sports. “When he’s on top of the game, he can control it. When he needs to battle back, he can battle back.
“He’s been 5-0 down a couple of occasions. He was 7-3 down to Jermaine Wattimenta. He’s had to work really hard this week, but he deserves it. He broke James Wade in the end.
“Wade withstood a lot there but he just became too much. It was an absolute barrage. A 107 average, over 31 legs? A brilliant performance and he deserves to be the champion.”
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Luke Littler shares his reaction after winning the World Matchplay title and becoming the youngest ever champion in the tournament’s history
Littler’s victory follows his World Championship victory in January and is his first ranking TV title since the UK Open in March, where he thrashed Wade 11-2, although the World Matchplay offered a different challenge to those two titles.
“You look at the World Championship and he won it relatively easy, with just Ryan Joyce taking him to a deciding set,” Webster explained. “He breezed through the UK Open, but this week has been made to battle.
“The Ryan Searle game aside, he’s been made to work really hard every game. He’s had to be patient and he’s had to dig deep. When it’s the match play format and you go 5-0 down, you don’t panic as the better player generally comes out on top. Littler has proved that.”
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Former world champions John Part and Mark Webster discuss Luke Littler’s scintillating form and whether anyone in the darting world can stop the teenager’s dominance
Littler has moved to £1,500,500 on the Werner Rankings Ladder, the rankings based on prize money earned over a two-year period, leaving him closing on Luke Humphries as world No 1.
“He’s the world No 2 and he’ll be the world No 1 soon, I’m sure,” Webster added.
“The record breaking is not going to stop. He’s just a phenomenal performer and he wasn’t even aware of that [180] record. I think he was a bit disappointed it was only eight he broke it by.
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Luke Littler hit a nine-darter during his semi-final against Josh Rock at the World Matchplay
“He’s just a fantastic talent, isn’t he? It’s hard to believe that he was saying ‘when I got my tour card, I wanted to win one of every tournament’. He only got it less than two years ago and he’s well on his way.
“It was interesting to hear him in the interviewing, where he said he would ‘have a bit of a chill and get ready for Australia’, so he is already looking to the next event. He’s the man to beat at the minute and he’s proved why this week.
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During the World Matchplay final Luke Littler almost nailed his second nine-darter of the tournament, as he missed the eighth dart of the leg
“He’s not even done his two-year cycle of the ranking prize money yet. Even if Humphries does defend some of those titles, you’d think he’s going to be the world No 1 in the coming months.
“He has really taken massive advantage of getting his tour card, he has run with it, won some big events there’s no sign of it stopping.”
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