Luke Littler’s unfathomable debut season in the PDC reached yet another new height as he won his maiden ranking major title at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
After overcoming the legendary Gary Anderson 16-15 in a pulsating semi-final that will live long in the memory at the WV Active Aldersley, the 17-year-old sensation later returned to the oche to destroy tournament outsider Martin Lukeman 16-3 and get his hands on the Eric Bristow Trophy at the first attempt.
Littler dropped the opening two legs of the match but stormed back in emphatic and unplayable fashion, finishing the match with an average of 107.08 and 12 maximums while he also pinned 45% of his doubles.
It capped a remarkable Grand Slam debut in which he averaged over 102 in all seven matches across the week – and in excess of 105 for the tournament – as well as hitting 60 180s and 10 100+ checkouts to hit the headlines once again.
While his final average was third highest in Grand Slam final history, just behind Phil Taylor’s 109.04 in 2011 and Gerwyn Price’s 107.86 in 2019, his tally of maximums smashed the previous record of 52 set by Adrian Lewis in 2013.
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Since taking the world by storm with his run to the World Championship final back in January, the 17-year-old has continued to prove why he’s unanimously dubbed a ‘generational talent’ by picking up 10 titles in 11 months as a PDC pro including the lucrative Premier League with victory over the player who defeated him at the Ally Pally Luke Humphries.
His latest winners’ cheque of £150,000 takes his overall earnings this year to over the £1,000,000 barrier while his ranked cash of £558,500 lifts him up to fifth in the world in less than a full season.
This achievement is made even more impressive when you consider he suffered early exits at the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship. Although this was this Littler’s first ranked major title, it was also his fifth televised crowd having also landed the Premier League, the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam and two other World Series titles in Bahrain and Poland.
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To put that statistic into jaw-dropping perspective, Littler is one of just five different players to have reached double figures for trophies in a single season, following in the footsteps of Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor and Peter Wright.
The Warrington ace won’t end up anywhere near MVG’s record of 25, which was set in his ultimate heyday of 2016, but to have already reached a milestone that many darting legends have never reached in a calendar year at such a young age sends out an ominous warning to the rest of the tour about how hard titles will be to come by in future seasons.
More to follow…
Reading 3-16 Littler: Match Statistics
- Averages
Reading: 93.42
Littler: 107.008 - 180s
Reading: 1
Littler: 12 - Checkout %
Reading: 50%
Littler: 45.7% - 100+ checkouts (High)
Reading: 0
Littler: 2 (124)
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Luke Littler’s Tournament Statistics
- Average:
- 100+ Averages: 7 out of 7
- 180s: 49
- Checkout %:
- 100+ checkouts (High):
Grand Slam of Darts semi-final round-up
Littler had earlier recovered from 13-9 adrift against Anderson to triumph with a 103 average and 16 maximums.
The Flying Scotsman produced an inspired seven-leg blitz to seize control, conjuring up 164, 142 and 102 checkouts during this spell to race into an 11-7 lead.
Littler levelled at 14-14, only to relinquish his throw immediately as Anderson pinned tops to move to the brink of a historic triumph.
However, the Warrington ace forced a decider before crashing home a 14-dart hold to deny the two-time world champion.
Lukeman became the first Tour Card Holder Qualifier to feature in the Grand Slam final following an impressive 16-12 success against fellow debutant Mickey Mansell.
Mansell made a confident start to lead 3-0, although Lukeman responded by winning six of the next seven legs – aided by 122 and 88 finishes on the bull.
The Northern Irishman enjoyed a mid-match revival to level at seven apiece, but Lukeman proved too strong, averaging 99 and landing a dozen 180s to book his place in a maiden televised final.
Littler 16-15 Anderson: Match Statistics
- Averages
Littler: 103.81
Anderson: 100.17 - 180s
Littler: 16
Anderson: 5 - Checkout %
Littler: 41%
Anderson: 51.7% - 100+ checkouts (High)
Littler: 1 (124)
Anderson: 4 (164)
Mansell 12-16 Reading: Match Statistics
- Averages
Mansell: 92.28
Reading: 99.66 - 180s
Mansell: 8
Reading: 12 - Checkout %
Mansell: 31.6%
Reading: 45.7% - 100+ checkouts (High)
Mansell: 0
Reading: 1 (122)
Grand Slam of Darts: Tournament results and tables
GROUP STAGE
Group A
Results
- James Wade 3-5 Mickey Mansell
- Luke Humphries 3-5 Rowby-John Rodriguez
- Rowby-John Rodriguez 3-5 Mickey Mansell
- James Wade 5-3 Luke Humphries
- James Wade 5-1 Rowby-John Rodriguez
- Luke Humphries 5-1 Mickey Mansell
Group B
Results
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Beau Greaves
- Martin Schindler 2-5 Cameron Menzies
- Danny Noppert 5-4 Cameron Menzies
- Martin Schindler 5-1 Beau Greaves
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Martin Schindler
- Cameron Menzies 1-5 Beau Greaves
Group C
Results
- Rob Cross 5-2 Leonard Gates
- Peter Wright 0-5 Martin Lukeman
- Peter Wright 4-5 Leonard Gates
- Rob Cross 3-5 Martin Lukeman
- Peter Wright 1-5 Rob Cross
- Leonard Gates 3-5 Martin Lukeman
Group D
Results
- Ross Smith 1-5 Ritchie Edhouse
- Dave Chisnall 0-5 Connor Scutt
- Dave Chisnall 2-5 Ross Smith
- Ritchie Edhouse 5-2 Connor Scutt
- Connor Scutt 0-5 Ross Smith
- Dave Chisnall 2-5 Ritchie Edhouse
Group E
Results
- Michael Smith 5-2 Mensur Suljovic
- Mike De Decker 2-5 Jermaine Wattimena
- Mike De Decker 5-2 Mensur Suljovic
- Michael Smith 1-5 Jermaine Wattimena
- Michael Smith 0-5 Mike De Decker
- Mensur Suljovic 4-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Group F
Results
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 5-1 Lawrence Ilagan
- Luke Littler 5-0 Keane Barry
- Keane Barry 5-3 Lawrence Ilagan
- Dimitri Van den Bergh 1-5 Luke Littler
- Keane Barry 1-5 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Lourence Ilagan 3-5 Luke Littler
Group G
Results
- Michael van Gerwen 5-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- Gary Anderson 5-1 Ryan Joyce
- Ryan Joyce 5-3 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
- Michael van Gerwen 4-5 Gary Anderson
- Michael van Gerwen 4-5 Ryan Joyce
- Gary Anderson 5-2 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Group H
Results
- Stephen Bunting 5-4 Wessel Nijman
- Josh Rock 2-5 Gian van Veen
- Josh Rock 5-3 Wessel Nijman
- Stephen Bunting 1-5 Gian van Veen
- Josh Rock 2-5 Stephen Bunting
- Wessel Nijman 4-5 Gian van Veen
Grand Slam of Darts: Knockout Stage
LAST 16 (Nov 13-14)
- James Wade 9-10 Cameron Menzies
- Danny Noppert 7-10 Mickey Mansell
- Martin Lukeman 10-5 Ross Smith
- Ritchie Edhouse 5-10 Rob Cross
- Jermaine Wattimena 10-9 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Luke Littler 10-9 Mike de Decker
- Gary Anderson 10-6 Stephen Bunting
- Gian van Veen 10-2 Ryan Joyce
QUARTER-FINALS (Nov 15-16)
- Cameron Menzies 15-16 Mickey Mansell
- Martin Lukeman 16-11 Rob Cross
- Jermaine Wattimena 2-16 Luke Littler
- Gary Anderson 16-14 Gian van Veen
SEMI-FINALS (Nov 17)
- Mickey Mansell 12-16 Martin Lukeman
- Luke Littler 16-15 Gary Anderson
FINAL (Nov 17)
- Martin Lukeman v Luke Littler
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