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Luke Littler says he can sense “tension” among his opponents in the face of his growing success as he continues his pursuit of a first world darts title.
Littler quickly rose to become one of the faces of the sport, finishing runner-up on his debut at the Ally Pally before going on to win the Premier League, World Series of Darts Final and Grand Slam of Darts.
He also recently finished runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year poll behind Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, a testament to his impact on darts in 2024.
Is the darts world jealous of the 17-year-old?
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John Pat says Littler was not invincible at this year’s World Darts Championship despite his raw talent and showing grit to win a decider against Joyce
“I don’t know. I would probably say there are some players who do show it, mostly on the pro tour,” Littler said.
“But I’ve seen interviews with Scott Williams – he’s got sponsorship opportunities and people are asking him because of myself. So it’s great to see what I’ve done, especially for the players and what they can get any sponsor.”
Littler booked his ticket to the quarter-finals with an epic 4-3 win over Ryan Joyce on Monday night as he seeks to improve on last year’s final defeat to Luke Luke Humphries fared better.
He is now the highest seed remaining in the event and comes into the tournament with higher expectations as one of the favorites to become champion. Now, if he hears any insinuations, he can smile.
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Littler defeated Joyce 4-3 and will face Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals
“It was definitely not in front of my face,” Littler added. “Not as soon as I walked in, but every time I practiced, I could feel that nerve. I just laughed.”
Awaiting Little in the quarter-finals will be Nathan Aspinall, who beat Riccardo Pietrecko 4-0 in 10 consecutive games with an average of 94.28 (Ricardo Pietreczko).
“It’s going to be tough,” Littler said. “But I won most of the games. Nathan only beat me once. It was good to beat Nathan. But this is the last eight of the World Championship and anyone can win on this day.”
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Aspinall says he’s not respected and has to keep proving himself
Littler admitted he was unlikely to speak to Aspinall in the build-up, stressing the importance of putting friendships aside.
“Probably not. We’ll just keep it a secret,” he said. “Obviously he will be celebrating the New Year with his family and his two daughters and of course I will be celebrating with my mum and dad.
“You have to go into every game like your best teammate or someone you really don’t like. You have to beat the opponent in front of you.”
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? You can watch every match live exclusively on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel until January 3rd. Live stream darts and more top sports with NOW.
