Michael Smith insisted Luke Littler’s popularity is “even bigger than Phil Taylor” after denying the 17-year-old darts sensation a shot at victory on his Premier League debut.
Smith edged out Littler 6-5 in a high-quality semi-final before going on to beat home favourite Gerwyn Price and silence a capacity Cardiff crowd.
“I actually thought in the semi-final Luke Littler was Welsh,” said Smith, the 2023 world champion.
“It’s going to be every week, it doesn’t matter where it is.
“Everyone’s fallen in love with him. He’s even bigger than Phil Taylor who won 16 world titles, Luke is the most popular thing in darts.”
He continued: “I’m going to ride the wave. People keep following, sponsors keep coming in, and the prize money is going up for us lads.
“When I walked in this afternoon there were no interviews.
“Luke Littler walked in and it was ‘can you do this one, can you do that one?’.
“That was me last year. This time I got to sit and chill, break up my time on the board and it worked.”
Smith beat seven-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in his opening match on the way to lifting a trophy for the first time since last April.
The St Helens thrower had to deal with unsportsmanlike whistling from some unruly individuals among the crowd.
Smith said: “I enjoyed the crowd apart from one or two individuals.
“I’m not going to say the crowd was disgusting because it was only two or three people, the other three or four thousand were amazing.
“Luckily enough it did not put me off, it’s expected. You know you’re going to expect some stick and some boos, especially playing Gezzy here.
“Whistling is not the best, but it happens in any sport. How do you stop it? It happens and it’s up to the sportsperson to get on with the job.
“Going top of the league after week one is a message to myself. I’m happy to win and there’s a few chinks in there, but to get five points on the opening night and a 10 grand cheque is always nice.”
Littler had earlier avenged his World Championship final defeat by Luke Humphries four weeks ago with a 6-2 quarter-final win.
He averaged 100.30 in that match and 105.31 in a ding-dong affair with Smith.
Littler hit six 180s in the semi-final, but a missed match dart on double 15 cost him dear as Smith capitalised.
A comfortable win over Price – who had earlier taken out Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross – put Smith top of the embryonic table ahead of week two in Berlin next Thursday.
Chris Dobey insists there is “no pressure” on him as he begins his Masters title defence on Friday.
The 33-year-old beat former World Champion Rob Cross 11-7 in last year’s final to claim his first major PDC crown in Milton Keynes.
Dobey remains “confident” going into the tournament, where he will face UK Open winner Andrew Gilding in the first round with a second-round tie against Michael van Gerwen at stake.
“I feel great, practice has gone well. I’m confident, so I’m hoping for another good tournament,” Dobey told the PA news agency.
“Everybody’s there for a reason, everybody knows how good everybody is in the competition, so there’s no pressure on me.
“I’ve got to go there, do what I do best and hopefully continue the form from the World Championships.”
Dobey comes into the Masters having endured a disappointing end to his World Championship hopes at the start of January where he was beaten 5-4 by Cross in the quarter-finals.
He had looked set to reach the semi-finals after taking a 4-0 lead, but Cross staged a memorable comeback to snatch victory.
“It’s still a hard one to take. Obviously I keep saying I should never have lost that, but I didn’t really do much different from 4-0 up to losing 5-4, I stayed at that same level,” Dobey said.
“Rob just went out there, given he had nothing to lose being 4-0 down, and he came back and played absolutely fantastic. You’ve got to take your hat off to him for that.
“I’ve put that in the past now, it’s all about this year and moving forward and hopefully I can get off to a good start from that defeat.”
Victory in that match would have set up a semi-final meeting between Dobey’s stable mate and teenage sensation Luke Littler.
Littler, who turned 17 this month, made headlines after reaching the World Championship final on debut and has since earned his first piece of silverware at the Bahrain Masters.
His incredible rise comes as no surprise to Dobey, who believes Littler has put “eyes back on the darts”.
“I knew he had the ability to go far,” Dobey said.
“Obviously with me, Nathan (Aspinall) and Luke being in the same stable you look at their draws, we’ve got a group chat to see what we think. I looked at Luke’s side of the draw (at Alexandra Palace) and thought it was a more favourable side of the draw.
“Then a couple of the big names went out on his side, which he’s got to take advantage of, and he did that for sure.
“He played a great tournament, fantastic. I think he was unlucky not to go 5-2 up in the final, he was millimetres away from the double two.
“It’s fine margins like that changes lives, changes the game, and that’s what happened.
“I was disappointed not to play him in the semi-final because we said a couple of days prior to our quarter-finals, ‘keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll play each other in the semi-final and hopefully it guarantees one of us in the final’.
“It just wasn’t to be, but the lad went on to do well and he’s made a name for himself. He’s changed the world of darts again and all eyes are back on the darts.”
Luke Littler says he will just continue “to do what I do” as he prepares for his eagerly-awaited Premier League debut and the latest stage of a relentless playing schedule.
The 17-year-old sensation will lock horns with his World Championship final conqueror Luke Humphries in the last quarter-final of opening night in Cardiff on Thursday.
Since being beaten 7-4 by Humphries at Alexandra Palace in early January, Littler has won his first World Series title by capturing the Bahrain Masters crown.
And he followed that up by reaching the Dutch Masters final in Den Bosch, where he was defeated 8-6 by three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
The punishing Premier League programme unfolds over 16 weeks at 16 different venues, taking Littler and his seven colleagues, who include Humphries, Van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price, to all corners of Great Britain and Ireland, plus rounds in Berlin and Rotterdam.
The competition then concludes with finals play-offs night at London’s O2 on May 23, with a £270,000 prize for the overall winner.
“It is how the calendar pans out. This is what I signed up for – a busy schedule all year long,” Littler said at a Premier League launch press conference in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
“I just keep myself to myself – that is what I do and whatever routines I do.
“When I was going to the airport for Bahrain I said to my mum that I just wanted 10-20 weeks off, please, but the schedule is just crazy.
“I know when I get a day off, I just make the most of it, and I have always said once I get into the venue, that is when I am in the zone.
“I’ve seen quite a few people have said, ‘Will the pressure get to him?’ But I just do what I do, do what I do best and throw my darts in the board.
“I don’t really want to practise at home, because once I get a day off I don’t want to be spending hours and hours on the board, so I spend hours and hours on my Xbox instead.”
Littler’s achievement in reaching the world final as a 16-year-old will rank among the great British sporting achievements of any year.
And, while his life continues to change seemingly on a weekly basis, staying grounded is not something the teenager appears to struggle with.
“It is what it is. When you get to a world final at such a young age, you are going to get spotted, but you have just to get used to it,” he added.
“Ever since the World Championship and to get the opportunities, it is about grabbing them and taking them while I can.
“I have not spoken to anyone about any goals. I take whatever is next and you can only beat what is in front of you.
“I have already beaten five of them (Premier League rivals) over the past two weeks, so I know I can beat anyone when I am on it, but I also know that the other seven guys are going to be on it every week.
“Going over to Bahrain and Den Bosch, it gives me every confidence. It was a confidence boost because I know how to beat them.
“You have got to win three games to win the night (in the Premier League) and you have got to start off pretty strong.
“You can’t be going the first few weeks losing and losing and then you are six points off the top four. I will be thinking to myself to try and gain loads of points every week.”
Luke Littler’s bid to win back-to-back World Series titles was dashed by Michael van Gerwen in the final of the Dutch Darts Masters in Den Bosch.
Littler was beaten 8-6 by the three-time world champion, who had fallen to the 17-year-old in the final in Bahrain last weekend.
With nothing to split the pair after the first 12 legs, Littler missed two darts at double eight to break van Gerwen’s throw and leave him one leg from another title.
Instead van Gerwen nudged one leg away, and needed a single chance to take out an 85 finish and bring Littler’s winning run to an end.
Littler had started his campaign on Saturday by gaining revenge over Luke Humphries, who denied him in the world final at Alexandra Palace last month.
Littler trailed 4-2, but hit back to claim a dramatic 6-5 victory with an 88 checkout on the bull.
The Warrington man then beat Gerwyn Price – who had missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in his last-eight win over Kevin Doets – 7-4 to book his return to a World Masters final.
In contrast, van Gerwen had looked below-par in back-to-back victories over Raymond van Barneveld and Gian van Veen – but stepped up when it mattered.
Van Gerwen told ITVX: “This is what people like to watch – he put me under so much pressure.
“Luke Littler is going to have a bright future, we all know that, but you still have to do the right thing against him. His scoring power is immense and you have to keep fighting.”
Luke Littler’s bid for back-to-back World Series titles got under way with a straightforward 6-2 win over a tetchy Dirk van Duijvenbode at the Dutch Masters.
Having followed up a remarkable run to the PDC World Championship final with victory at last week’s Bahrain Masters, Littler, who turned 17 on Sunday, was relatively untested by his Dutch opponent.
The teenager was far from his best, averaging 90.85, although a stunning 150 checkout saw him set up a mouthwatering quarter-final against Luke Humphries on Saturday in a repeat of their World Championship final.
There was a minor flash point when Van Duijvenbode seemed to gesture towards Littler, who composed himself by briefly stepping away from the oche to take a sip of water at the Maaspoort Den Bosch.
Whether Van Duijvenbode was irritated at his performance, his rival or the crowd was unclear but the incident did not disrupt Littler and the pair shared a friendly handshake at the end of the contest.
Littler is growing accustomed to the cheers of the crowd but was greeted by a smattering of boos during his walk-on, making light of the situation by cupping his hands to his ears.
He settled immediately with a 180 and seven days after his nine-dart first leg in Bahrain, hopes were fleetingly raised of a repeat performance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which were soon extinguished.
Littler won the opening leg, accidentally finding double 20 then double 10 to take out 60 before thudding into tops more conventionally to go 2-0 ahead.
Van Duijvenbode pulled one back but seemed to be distracted and, on more than one occasion aimlessly threw a third dart, at one point motioning at Littler, who looked on bemused at what was happening.
An unflustered Littler moved 4-1 ahead and while the pair then traded legs, the youngster sealed a quarter-final spot with a fantastic checkout, taking out two treble 19s and finishing with double 18.
Littler was beaten 7-4 in the World Championship final earlier this month but can gain a measure of revenge over Humphries, who booked his spot in the last eight with a 6-0 win over Jermaine Wattimena.
Luke Littler claims the “world has gone mad” as he aims to make it back-to-back World Series title in the Netherlands this weekend.
Littler, who turned 17 on Sunday, continued his incredible ascent to stardom last week when he won the Bahrain Masters, winning silverware in his first tournament since his sensational debut run to the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
He did it by making a splash in the Middle East as well, firing a nine-dart finish in his quarter-final win before beating former world champions Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen on his way to the title.
Life has changed immeasurably for Littler over the last couple of months, none more so than him being the star attraction in Bahrain.
“I was happy to go out to Bahrain and win it,” he said. “It was a good experience, it was different to Ally Pally, you could hear everything in the crowd and it was good to see so many youngsters at the live draw.
“Eight of us (seeded players) took pictures and signed autographs. The world has gone mad.
“I didn’t expect to beat those players, I know I have got my own ability and I believe in my ability and that is what gets me over the line.
“I said I’d take a slow start and then I hit a nine in the first leg, it’s always a bonus. Even Nath said to me, ‘It’s the first leg and a hold of throw’, I said, ‘I know’.
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“I was just glad to get over the line against Nath and Gezzy and Michael to get the trophy.
It will be a tougher assignment for the teenager in Den Bosch this weekend as the likes of Raymond van Barneveld, Danny Noppert, Gian van Veen and Dimitri Van den Bergh join the field as local representatives.
Littler beat both Van Barneveld and Van Veen on the way to the Ally Pally final so knows they are seeking revenge if they are drawn together in the first round.
“The standard is going to be good once again,” he said.
“All eight of the representatives are good. Maybe Raymond and Gian want revenge, but every first round game is going to be tough for us, so it’s going to be a good weekend.
“It would be a massive bonus if I win it but if I do lose it’s back home and focus on Cardiff in the Premier League.”
Luke Littler will make his Premier League debut against Luke Humphries in a rematch of their World Championship final in Cardiff next week.
The 17-year-old headlines the opening night of the weekly competition against the man who beat him in the showpiece at Alexandra Palace at the start of the month.
While Humphries became world champion and world number one in a brilliant tournament of his own, lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy after a 7-4 win, it was Littler who stole the headlines on his historic run where he transcended the sport, becoming front and back page news.
That earned him a coveted slot in the Premier League and he doubled down on his stardom by beating Michael van Gerwen and hitting a nine-dart finish on his way to winning the Bahrain Masters last week.
He opens his campaign against fellow debutant Humphries in the Welsh capital a week on Thursday, plays Rob Cross in a repeat of the World Championship semi-final a week later, meets Michael Smith in Exeter on week five and then faces Van Gerwen in Nottingham a fortnight later.
Each weekly mini-event, where a night consists of quarter-finals, a semi-final and a final over the best of 11 legs, contributes to a league table where the top four players advance to the play-offs at the O2 in London in May.
The opening night also sees Van Gerwen and Smith go head-to-head in a blockbusting clash, while Welshman Gerwyn Price takes on Nathan Aspinall and Peter Wright battles Cross.
Luke Littler intended to celebrate turning 17 by taking his family out for a meal.
The teenager, who took the world by storm with his run to the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace earlier this month, is back in the country after winning the Bahrain Masters on Friday.
It was a whirlwind visit to the Middle East as he hit a nine-dart finish on his way to winning a first senior PDC title, earning him a £20,000 payday.
He then attended the Misfits Boxing on Saturday night and was pictured with celebrity KSI before planning some family time on Sunday.
Littler, who is now old enough to drive, revealed after his win in Bahrain that he would treat his family on his special day, saying: “On Sunday, we’ll all go out as a family for a meal, and even though it’s my birthday, I’ll treat them.”
He will not need to splash out on dessert, though, as his local bakery in Warrington provided him with a lavish cake to mark his special day.
There will not be much time for rest as the teenager heads out to the Netherlands for the Dutch Darts Masters this week before the Premier League kicks-off in Cardiff on February 1.
It will be the start of a gruelling schedule for Littler, who is determined to make the most of every opportunity he gets on what will be a breakout year on the PDC Tour.
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He is also in high demand on the celebrity circuit, having met a host of footballers and reality stars over the past few weeks.
And Michael van Gerwen, who was beaten by Littler in the final in Bahrain, had warned about exploiting the teenager too much.
“Everyone says he’s the new kid, but everyone knows what he is capable of,” the Dutchman said after the Bahrain final. “The crowd, the television, everyone wants to make him bigger, but he’s already a good player.
“I know we all want to push him, but let him grow, let him do other things. You have to learn, the crowd has to learn and everyone who is involved in television has to learn. Don’t push him too much.
“Of course we know he’s a good player, but give him his time and after, he will come, no problems.”
Teenage sensation Luke Littler powered his way past three-times world champion Michael Van Gerwen to claim his first senior PDC title on a perfect day at the Bahrain Masters.
The 16-year-old, who lost to Luke Humphries in the World Darts Championship final earlier this month after a thrilling run which catapulted him into the limelight, beat the world number two to seal an 8-5 victory after earlier producing a nine-dart finish and a maximum 170 check-out.
Asked afterwards what he had just achieved, the teenager who beat Nathan Aspinall in the last eight and Gerwyn Price to reach the final, told ITV4: “You tell me. I don’t know. I’m happy to win.”
Teenage sensation Luke Littler started with a nine-darter as he dispatched Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals of the Bahrain Masters before brushing aside Gerwyn Price to reach the final.
The 16-year-old World Championship runner-up needed just three visits in the opening leg against fellow Englishman Aspinall.
Littler’s first three darts found the treble 20 bed and he repeated the feat on his return before a seventh dart set up a treble 19, double 12 finish.
The teenager was playing in just his second PDC event after becoming the youngest player to reach World Championship final at Alexandra Palace, where he eventually lost to Luke Humphries, earlier this month.
Littler won the second leg against the darts to take a 2-0 lead, only for Aspinall to break back in the third and then hold to make it 2-2.
However, Littler was not to be denied and eventually ran out a 6-3 winner with a 116 check-out to book a last-four showdown with former world champion Price.
There were further fireworks when the youngster, who turns 17 next week, returned to action, landing a maximum 170 finish on his way to a 7-3 semi-final victory over Price, who himself hit 124 and 146 check-outs as he attempted to keep pace.
Teenage sensation Luke Littler started with a nine-darter as he moved into the semi-finals of the Bahrain Masters with a 6-3 win over Nathan Aspinall.
The 16-year-old World Championship runner-up needed just three visits in the opening leg against fellow Englishman Aspinall.
Littler’s first three darts found the treble 20 bed and he repeated the feat on his return before a seventh dart set up a treble 19, double 12 finish.
The teenager was playing in just his second PDC event after becoming the youngest player to reach World Championship final at Alexandra Palace, where he eventually lost to Luke Humphries, earlier this month.
Littler won the second leg against the darts to take a 2-0 lead, only for Aspinall to break back in the third and then hold to make it 2-2.
However, Littler was not to be denied and eventually ran out a 6-3 winner with a 116 check-out to book a last-four showdown with former world champion Gerwyn Price.
Luke Littler recovered from a shaky start to power into the quarter-finals of the Bahrain Masters with some brilliant finishing.
Littler took the World Championships by storm over Christmas, the 16-year-old becoming front and back page news as he reached the final at Alexandra Palace.
Despite losing to Luke Humphries, Littler’s performances saw him fast-tracked to the top table of the sport and that included a place in the World Series event in Bahrain, where he faced Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung.
Littler looked certain to take the opening leg after his first 180 left him needing 84, but he amazingly missed seven darts at a double before Leung took out 107 to snatch the leg.
Leung also finished 83 on the bullseye to lead 2-0 before Littler kicked into top gear, the teenager taking out 151 and 136 in successive legs as he reeled off five in a row, despite missing eight darts at a double in leg seven.
Littler also hit treble 20, double 20 and double 10 for a somewhat unorthodox 120 checkout to seal a 6-3 win and set up a quarter-final with Nathan Aspinall.
Aspinall had earlier edged past Lourence Ilagan of the Philippines 6-5, Ilagan missing two match darts at 5-4, while Gerwyn Price beat Reynaldo Rivera 6-4 and Rob Cross saw off Tomoya Goto 6-3.
Japan’s Haruki Muramatsu hit a 170 checkout in the fourth leg but eventually lost 6-5 to former world champion Peter Wright.
Luke Littler is ready to get “back to business” as he begins life after his sensational World Championship campaign.
The 16-year-old took Alexandra Palace by storm over Christmas, bulldozing his way to the final on debut before losing to Luke Humphries.
His life changed forever during that run as he became front-page news, enjoyed celebrity status and has been given a seat at the top table of the sport.
That begins with an appearance in the Bahrain Masters, starting on Thursday, where he takes on Man Lok Leung in the first round.
Littler, who could play Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals, is refreshed after a holiday and raring to go.
“It’s back to business for me now,” he said. “I’ve chilled out and not really thrown many darts since the World Championship final, but I’m sure that once I’m in the practice room I’ll be alright.
“I like playing all the time but after the World Championship I wanted to get away, which me and the family did. Hopefully I can have a good event here to get back playing.
“I’m in this event in Bahrain, in the Dutch Darts Masters next week and then the Premier League. I don’t really have any goals, I’m just going to have to see what the darts do.”
Littler has continued living the high life during his break as he spent time with his beloved rugby league club Warrington while also getting the chance to meet Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It’s been crazy. Warrington Wolves invited me down and I went to the Manchester United game and met Sir Alex Ferguson,” he added.
“To meet him was amazing and he said some lovely things to me about staying dedicated and believing in myself.
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“The holiday was great to get away from everything and we did that. My life’s changed and my family’s life has changed and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’m getting.”
Michael Smith begins the defence of his title against Paolo Nebrida while world champion and world number one Humphries begins his reign against Abdulla Saeed.
Michael van Gerwen plays Hasan Haji, Gerwyn Price takes on Reynaldo Rivera, Aspinall is paired with Lourence Ilagan, Rob Cross has drawn Tomoya Goto and Peter Wright kicks off against Haruki Muramatsu.
Mark Allen registered the second 147 of this year’s Masters as he edged past Mark Selby 6-5 and into the semi-finals.
After losing the first two frames, Allen got off the mark by producing another maximum to add to Ding Junhui’s in the opening round at Alexandra Palace, the third of the Northern Irishman’s career.
Selby subsequently moved 4-1 ahead before Allen claimed four frames in a row, including a break of 103, to take the lead.
After Selby brought things level again, Allen took the final frame to book a semi-final clash with Ali Carter.
Speaking after his match, Allen said: “I don’t know where that maximum came from because it was a really poor performance tonight.
“You never know how a match can change. I was applying myself really well, I just couldn’t find any rhythm and, as the match went on, I grew into it.
“Any win against Mark is a good win, so I’ll take that into tomorrow, but I’ll need to play better.”
Carter earlier knocked out defending champion Judd Trump in another contest that went down to the wire.
Carter was losing 5-4 and facing an exit in the 10th frame only for his opponent to over-cut the matchball red, allowing the 44-year-old to seize his chance and produce a 43 clearance to take it to a decider.
Boosted by that momentum, a break of 64 then saw Carter, who had been 4-2 up, only for Trump to fight back with a break of 129 on his way to winning three frames in succession, through to only his second Masters semi in 13 attempts.
“For all the money, I looked like going 5-3 in front and lost my composure for a couple of frames,” Carter said in his post-match interview.
“I felt like I worked really hard but was delighted to make an unbelievable clearance to force a decider.
“Then how I’ve held myself together there, I don’t know – that’s a feather in my cap.”
The other semi-final sees Ronnie O’Sullivan face Shaun Murphy.
Three-time winner Mark Selby cruised through to the last eight of the Masters with a 6-1 victory over Robert Milkins at Alexandra Palace.
World number five Selby, who won the tournament in 2008, 2010 and 2013, raced into a 4-0 lead and although Milkins briefly stemmed the tide by taking the fifth frame, the result was never in doubt.
Selby produced a 119-break in the second frame of the evening match to assume control and compiled four more frame-winning half-century breaks to seal a convincing win.
The four-time world champion made scores of 70 and 74 in the final two frames to stay on course for a sixth appearance in the Masters final.
Mark Allen had earlier conjured a break of 86 in the final-frame decider to oust John Higgins and advance to the quarter-finals.
A week after 16-year-old Luke Littler thrilled during the World Darts Championship it was two old-timers that were starring at Ally Pally.
Higgins, a two-time champion, looked to be in control as back-to-back 80-plus breaks put him 3-1 up.
But world number three Allen won the next two scrappy frames, thanks to some wayward potting by Higgins to draw level.
The Northern Irishman had to wait until frame seven to make his first half-century break as he took the lead for the first time and then a sumptuous 123 clearance – the best of the match – put him one frame away.
Higgins had been looking beaten for the previous 30 minutes but summoned his renowned fighting spirit to reduce the deficit after winning the tactical battle and then sent it to a decider with a 61 break.
But hopes of a comeback were put to bed as Allen produced his decisive break to set up a last-eight tie with Selby.
He said: “It wasn’t a phenomenal contest, we were both a bit edgy, but any win against John is a good win so I will take it.
“Strangely I didn’t feel too bad in the last frame because 5-3 to 5-5 I didn’t feel like I’d done much wrong.
“I missed two really tricky shots, so I was looking forward to getting a chance and when John missed that long red I was fearing the worst but I got another chance and I made the most of it.”
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