Luke Littler said he can sense “tension” among his rivals in the face of his growing success as he continues his pursuit of a first World Darts Championship crown.
Littler has emerged as one of the faces of the sport during a meteoric rise that saw him finish runner-up at the Ally Pally on his debut before winning the Premier League, World Series of Darts Finals and the Grand Slam of Darts.
He was also recently runner-up for BBC Sports Personality of the Year behind Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.Such was his impact on darts prominence in 2024.
Is the hurling world jealous of the 17-year-old?
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John Part says Littler is not unbeatable at this year’s World Championships, despite his natural talent and winning a crucial set against Joyce.
“I don’t know. I’d probably say some players show it, mostly on the pro tour,” Littler said.
“But I saw the Scott Williams interview. he’s getting sponsorship opportunities, people are asking him because of me. So it’s good to see what I’ve done, especially for the players and what sponsors they can get.”
Littler survived the epic on Monday night to beat Ryan Joyce 4-3 to book his place in the quarter-finals as he looks to go one better than his loss to Luke Humphreys in last year’s final.
He is now the highest-ranked player left in a competition where he arrived with high expectations as one of the favorites to win the title.By now, he can afford a smile if he ever hears a sideline remark.
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Littler will face Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals after beating Joyce 4-3.
“It’s definitely not in my face,” Littler added. “Not as soon as I go in, but every time I practice, I just feel that tension. And I just laugh about it.”
In the quarter-finals, Littler faces Nathan Aspinall, who averaged 94.28 to beat Ricardo Pietrecco 4-0 after turning 10 straight legs.
“It’s going to be tough,” Littler said. “But Nathan’s only got one win over me. But it’s the last eight in the world championship.”
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Aspinall said he had been shown “no respect” and had to continue to prove himself
Littler admitted he was unlikely to speak to Aspinall during the build-up, stressing the importance of pushing the friendship aside.
“Probably not, we’ll just keep to ourselves,” he said. “Obviously he’ll be celebrating New Year’s with his family and his two daughters, and I’ll be celebrating with mom and dad.
“You have to go into every game like you would if you’re playing your best mate or someone you really don’t like. You just have to beat whatever’s in front of you.”
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