Luke Littler joined an exclusive club by winning 10 titles in one year but sees no reason why he can’t pick up an 11th when he heads to the World Darts Championship.
After Littler picked up a sensational Grand Slam victory on his debut at the major, reeling off 15 legs in a row in a 16-3 domination of Martin Lukeman, he joined an exclusive club of just Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor and Peter Wright who have picked up trophies in the double figures in one season.
Now, he heads to Alexandra Palace as the favourite to lift the trophy come January 3 and has belief that his game is good enough to prove predictions correct.
“I could potentially end the year on 11, couldn’t I? But yeah, I’ve set another record”, Littler said.
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“I’ve put my name into the other players who have won ten titles this year. But like I said, potentially it could be 11 by next year and I’ll try and break the record.
“I got the runner-up on my first go, but yeah, I’d like to win it. Obviously, everyone wants to win it, but that’s why my game is at the minute. I think I can win it.
“I’d like to pick up the trophy, but if not, just have another good run to the final.”
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Littler won 15 legs in a row in the final of the Grand Slam Of Darts
With records being broken left, right, and centre by the teenage sensation, one many see Littler achieving is becoming the youngest player ever to be crowned world champion.
The 17-year-old believes time is firmly on his side to get that record wrapped up.
“Well, I know Michael Van Gerwen holds the youngest at 24, so I’ve got seven years,” Littler said.
“I could just slouch about for six years and then just win it when I’m 24.
“But no, I’d like to obviously win it before Michael won it. It’d mean everything. So to be the youngest, that’s definitely what I’d be looking for.”
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Reigning World Darts Champion Luke Humphries looks to become back to back champion at Alexandra Palace this Christmas
When Littler went on his sensational run back in December 2023, not many could have predicted just how emphatically he would start out life on the professional darts circuit.
Indeed, even he cannot quite believe how much he has achieved in his debut year, crediting his early victory at the Bahrain Masters, in which he hit a nine-darter, with spurring him on.
“I just wanted to win a few Pro Tours, but obviously winning Bahrain, the World Series, and then it was just European Tours, Pro Tours, and just all the titles I’ve picked up. It just goes to show how well I’ve been playing,” he added.
“It was good to win Bahrain, the first tournament of 2024. I’ve put my hands on it and I just had to build from it there and that’s what I’ve done.”
When will the World Darts Championship take place?
The tournament gets under way at Alexandra Palace on Sunday December 15, with three first-round matches and one second-round match on the opening evening.
There will be live darts over each of the following eight days, including seven afternoon sessions, with the usual three-day break from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day before returning with the third round and a double session on December 27.
The third and fourth rounds will be completed by December 30 before a night off on New Year’s Eve, with the quarter-finals held across two sessions on New Year’s Day ahead of the semi-finals on January 2 and the final on Friday January 3.
The full day-by-day schedule for this year’s tournament can be found here.
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match exclusively live from December 15-January 3 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.
