Reuters
Teenage sensation Luke “The Nuke” Littler on Saturday set a tournament record with a 140.91 set average as he secured a second-round win in the PDC World Darts Championship with a 3-1 victory over fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle late.
The 17-year-old came close to winning the World Championship in January, but lost in the final to Luke Humphries. Now, he has started the latest edition on a high note.
Tournament favorite Littler fired in four maximum 180s, while winning three consecutive legs in 11, 10 and 11 darts, setting a record set average and finishing with an overall average of 100.85.
Luke Littler throws during his match against Ryan Meikle at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London on Saturday.
Photo: AP
“It was probably the toughest game I’ve ever played. I had to fight until the end,” Littler said in front of 3,000 fans at London’s Alexandra Palace. “It is the worst game I have played. I have never felt anything like that tonight.”
Last year, he took the dart world by storm with his incredible run to the world championship final. His clash with Humphries attracted a peak TV audience of 3.7 million — Sky Sports’ highest figure for a non-soccer event.
Littlermania has scaled new heights since and he is fast becoming one of Britain’s most recognizable sportsmen with commercial deals galore and millions of social media followers.
Luke Littler reacts during his second-round match against Ryan Meikle at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London on Saturday.
Photo: Reuters
Littler has his own-branded magnetic dart board, which is flying off the Christmas shelves, endorses a popular breakfast cereal and signed a collaboration deal with Xbox, the logo of which is featured on his distinctive purple and yellow shirt.
The down-to-earth teenager, who celebrated wins last year at Alexandra Palace with kebabs, could eclipse darts great Phil Taylor and become a British icon like ex-England soccer captain David Beckham, twice world champion Dennis Priestley said earlier this month.
