2 minutes Luke Littler is on course for a year to remember and can go one better at the end of the year and take his first World title.
Luke Littler continues to impress after securing the Belgian Open in epic style. As he continues to improve is it worth backing him now to win his first World championship at the end of the year. In short, YES! At just 17 and playing in high level tournaments he can only improve and it may be worth getting your money down as he could end up one of the shortest priced favorites ever at World Championships.
In a thrilling conclusion to the Belgian Darts Open, Luke Littler clinched his first European Tour title during his series debut by defeating Rob Cross with a spectacular nine-dart finish. The match against Cross, the 2018 world champion, culminated in a nail-biting final leg, showcasing Littler's third nine-dart finish in a Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournament this year, marking an extraordinary start to his professional journey.
In the climactic 11th leg of a tightly contested final, Littler kicked off with two consecutive 180s, setting himself up for a nine-darter on 144. Successfully landing two treble 20s and a double 12 on his third visit, he electrified the Oktoberhallen crowd with his precision. Littler, only 17, expressed his preference for finishing a nine-darter with 144, citing increased confidence after the first treble 20 hits. Averaging 103.76 in the final, he commented on his rise to prominence, emphasizing his focus on playing his game amid the attention.
As the crowd's excitement over the nine-dart finish lingered, Cross poised himself to snatch the match and title, maintaining his serve and securing a 121 break to lead 7-6. Yet, Littler demonstrated resilience, characteristic of his burgeoning career, by immediately breaking back, tying the score at 7-7, and pushing the match to a decisive 15th leg. This victory marked Littler's third senior PDC title, following triumphs at the Bahrain Masters and the first Players Championship event of 2024 in Wigan.
Reflecting on his victory, Littler acknowledged the relief of winning after losing two legs subsequent to his nine-darter and praised the competitive dynamic with Cross, highlighting their capacity to elicit peak performances from one another.
On the tournament's final day in Wieze, Littler advanced to the championship round with victories over Damon Heta, Jermaine Wattimena, and Ricardo Pietreczko in the semi-final, despite a tense exchange with Pietreczko post-match, who later critiqued Littler's attitude on social media.
Cross reached his ninth European Tour final after defeating Gerwyn Price, following victories over Ryan Searle and Danny Noppert.
Littler's win not only secured him the £30,000 top prize but also positioned him for provisional qualification for the World Matchplay in July.
Darts World Championship Odds 2024
Luke Littler - 11/4
Luke Humphries - 9/2
Michael van Gerwen - 5/1
Gerwyn Price - 11/1
Michael Smith - 12/1
Gary Anderson - 22/1
Stephen Bunting - 22/1
Rob Cross - 22/1
Peter Wright - 40/1
Chris Dobey - 33/1
Nathan Aspinal - 40/1