Luke Littler made more dart history with Betfred World Matchplay victory, completed Triple Crown and reached new heights in another record-breaking display.
The world champion claimed Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time after an impressive 18-13 victory over James Wade, firing an average of 107.24 and releasing 64 180s across the tournament to blow up Adrian Lewis’ previous record.
Littler, 18, becomes the youngest player to win in Blackpool, and also the youngest to end the Triple Crown and join Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries as the only players winning the World Cup, World Matchplay and Premier League.
The teenager pulled out five legs in three of his five games and produced impressive fightbacks against Jermaine Wattimena in the second round and Josh Rock – where he fired a nine -dart leg – in the semi -finals before doing the same against Wade.
Littler also won in a 30-leg epic against Andrew Gilding in the quarterfinals, after beating Ryan Searle with an average of 109 in his opening match, where the teenager impresses in different ways throughout the tournament.
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See the winning moment when Luke Littler sealed his Maiden World Matchplay title with an 18-13 win over former youngest champion James Wade
“He has just been incredible all week and we’ve learned this week that he can handle absolutely everything,” Former World Champion Mark Webster told Sky Sports. “When he is on top of the game he can control it. When he needs to fight back, he can fight back.
“He’s been 5-0 down a couple of apartments. He was 7-3 down to Jermaine Wattimenta. He had to work really hard this week but he deserves it. He broke James Wade in the end.
“Wade resisted a lot there, but he just got too much. It was an absolute barrier. An average of 107, over 31 legs? A brilliant performance and he deserves to be the master.”
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Luke Littler shares his reaction after winning the World Matchplay title and became the youngest ever master in the history of the tournament
Littler’s victory follows his World Cup victory in January and is his first ranking TV title since the UK Open in March, smashing Wade 11-2, though World Matchplay offered another challenge for these two titles.
“You look at the World Cup and he won it relatively easily, with just Ryan Joyce leading him to a crucial set,” webster explained. “He breeze through the UK Open, but this week has been made into a battle.
“Ryan Searle game aside, he has been done to work really hard every game. He had to be patient and he had to dig deeply. When it’s the match game format and you go down 5-0, you don’t panic as the better player generally comes out on top. Littler has proven it.”
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Former world champions John Del and Mark Webster discuss Luke Littlers scintillating form and whether someone in the darting world can stop the teen’s dominance
Littler has moved to £ 1,500,500 at the Werner location ladder, the rankings based on prize money earned over a two-year period, leaving him closing Luke Humphries as the world # 1.
“He is the world # 2 and he will soon be the world # 1 I’m sure,” webster added.
“The record breach is not stopping. He is just a phenomenal artist and he wasn’t even aware of that [180] record. I think he was a little disappointed that it was only eight, he broke it by.
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Luke Littler hit a ni-darter during his semi-final against Josh Rock on World Matchplay
“He’s just an amazing talent, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe he said ‘When I got my Tour card, I would win one of every tournament’. He got it only less than two years ago and he’s well on his way.
“It was interesting to hear him in the interview where he said he would ‘have a bit of a chill and get ready for Australia’, so he’s already looking for the next event. He’s the man to hit at the moment and he’s proven why this week this week.
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During the World Matchplay Final Luke Littler almost spiked his second nine-daring of the tournament as he missed the eighth dart of the leg
“He hasn’t even made his two-year cycle of ranking prize money yet. Even if Humphries defends some of these titles, you would think he will be the world # 1 in the coming months.
“He has really taken advantage of huge advantage of getting his tour card, he has run with it, won some big events, there is no sign that it will stop.”
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