Darts sensation Luke Littler rocketed from nought to 140 in what would give F1’s Max Verstappen a run for his money.
Reflecting on his electric performance at Alexandra Palace, Littler revealed that the ‘nerves’ got to him during the opening stages of his PDC World Championship contest.
Despite a shaky start, ‘Luke the Nuke’ produced an explosive fourth set against Ryan Meikle on Saturday night, posting a new tournament record set average of 140.91 to seize victory. His breath-taking finish, in which he narrowly missed out on a nine-darter, reinforced his status as the punters’ top pick.
Littler has dominated headlines on his debut season on the professional circuit, having hammered home a staggering 776 maximum 180s. And he’s not finished yet.
He told Mirror Sport: “Can I go higher than 140 in a set? If I hit a nine-darter, maybe yes. In that last set against Ryan, I wasn’t even thinking of the average – I was just thinking about getting over the line.
“In practice, before (referee) George Noble said ‘Game on’, I was throwing 180s for fun. Then all of a sudden it was low 20s, low 5s, low 19s and I had to pull it out of the bag.
“In the hours before the game, I was perfectly fine – then it was ‘Game on’ and the bottom’s gone. It fell out. I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“It is good to be back at Ally Pally, and on the train journey down, I couldn’t wait. But then I got on that stage and my bottom has gone a bit nervous. I had to find my best game somewhere. I know I have got it. Thankfully that is what happened in the final set.
“The last time I felt nervous was the first night of the Premier League in Cardiff against Luke (Humphries). Throughout the year, it has been fine – against Michael (Van Gerwen) at the World Matchplay it wasn’t nerves, he was just the better player. But this was something different.
“I know what I can produce and I know what I have produced all year – it has been the best darts of my life. The experience has been absolutely amazing.
“But that was something else. I know from now on, I am going to stop myself getting nerves. I don’t need to be nervous now, I’m through to the third round. I know I will have time to settle in the longer format. Everyone knows I am usually a quick starter.”
Since his astonishing run to the final as a 16-year-old last time round, the Littler effect has transcended the face of darts.
As Christmas draws closer, countless children will eagerly unwrap gifts to discover items emblazoned with the name of darting wonder from Warrington.
The young star shared his astonishment at his journey: “It’s been crazy, I don’t know how much Target (his darts manufacturer) have let go to the likes of Argos and all those other places. I am the only one to bring out a magnetic board. As a youngster, it was always the thing I used.”
He added: “When I was younger and I got some FIFA points, I’d be absolutely on it (X-Box) all day, but now a lot of the kids I know will be on the magnetic boards and or proper darts board. There will be a lot of darts thrown on Christmas Day – but I won’t be playing!”
