Luke Littler opened the defence of his World Matchplay title with a nine-dart finish in the very first leg, a breathtaking start that set the tone for an 11-8 victory over Nathan Aspinall in Blackpool. The 19-year-old world No.1, who produced a second perfect leg attempt within four legs but missed the final double, averaged 113.68 – the second-highest in the tournament's history, behind only Phil Taylor's 114.99 in 2010.
Aspinall, refusing to be overshadowed, fought back from 7-5 down and landed a spectacular 170 checkout that sent the Winter Gardens crowd into a frenzy. But Littler held firm, sealing the win and a place in the quarter-finals. “That was amazing. That’s the best game me and Nathan have had,” Littler told Sky Sports. “Seeing the averages, I thought his was going to be a bit better. He gave it his all. His 170 was the best ever hit against me, fair play to Nathan Aspinall. I’m glad to take part in such an amazing game.”
“Luke Littler hit a nine-darter in the first leg, averaging 113.68 to beat Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in the World Matchplay.”
It was the second time Littler has hit a perfect leg against Aspinall, having done so at the Bahrain Masters two years ago. Reflecting on the moment, he added: “It felt amazing. The nine-darter just happened – these guys were booing me at the beginning and then they started cheering me on! That’s two unbelievable performances from myself here. I just have to focus.”
Littler’s victory keeps alive his hopes of an unprecedented clean sweep of darts majors this season. “You can never put the trophy in someone’s hands after round one or round two,” he said. “I was watching Luke Humphries’ game and wanted him to win – I wanted us to meet in another final. But it wasn’t to be. But I’m still here. If I carry on the way I did in the first two rounds hopefully I can pick up the title again.”
Tuesday’s other matches saw Michael van Gerwen crash out, losing 14-12 to fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode despite recovering from 8-4 down to level at 10-10. Scotland’s Gary Anderson also progressed, beating Welshman Jonny Clayton 11-7 to reach the last eight.