SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR LITTLER IN MILTON KEYNES
LUKE Littler celebrated his seventh PDC title of 2024 on Wednesday, after closing out an 8-6 success against emerging Dutchman Wessel Nijman in a fascinating Players Championship 15 final.
Littler made a terrific start to this week’s treble-header in Milton Keynes, becoming the first player to win multiple Players Championship titles in 2024.
The teenage sensation won the year’s opening Players Championship event back in February, which sparked a remarkable sequence of 14 different winners from as many events.
However, the 17-year-old halted that run at the Marshall Arena, overturning a 6-5 deficit against an in-form Nijman to deny the Dutchman his first senior PDC title.
Littler – making his first appearance since his first round defeat at the World Matchplay – began his campaign with consecutive ton-plus averages in wins over Boris Krcmar and Pascal Rupprecht.
The Warrington wonderkid then dispatched Jonny Clayton to book his place in the last 16, before closing out a brace of 6-4 victories against Rhys Griffin and Krzysztof Ratajski to reach the last four.
Littler continued his charge with a crushing 7-2 success against his stablemate Chris Dobey in the semi-finals, averaging 103 to set up a showdown against Nijman, as two of the sport’s most exciting talents locked horns.
Trailing 2-0, Nijman reeled off four straight legs – including a spectacular 160 checkout – to seize the initiative, only for Littler to respond with legs of 13 and 11 darts to restore parity at four apiece.
This was followed by a run of four successive breaks of throw, although Nijman was left to rue missing two darts for a 7-5 lead, as Littler stole a march in the closing stages to triumph.
“I know what Wessel is capable of,” insisted Littler, who maintains his incredible record of winning a title every month this year.
“I’ve seen him dominate the last weekend of the Development Tour, but it was a good final, and I’m happy to be the only player with two [Players Championship] titles this year!
“I’ve not really picked up a dart since the World Matchplay, so to come here and win is even better.
“I’ve got to back myself to win almost everything. With the standard of the other players I probably can’t do that, but I’d love to win another major title this year.”
Fresh from his dominance on the Winmau Development Tour, Nijman continued his rise by advancing to his maiden ProTour final on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old won a hat-trick of Development Tour titles at the Marshall Arena last weekend, and he marked his return to Milton Keynes with a series of top-class displays.
The Dutch youngster produced a quartet of ton-topping averages to race through to the last eight, overcoming his compatriots Christian Kist and Gian van Veen, before Graham Hall and Darren Beveridge were sent packing.
Nijman then edged out Gary Anderson in a compelling quarter-final clash, and he later defied a 104 average from Damon Heta to emerge through a high-quality last four tussle.
Heta recorded eye-catching 108 and 112 averages in dispatching Ritchie Edhouse and Stefan Bellmont respectively, conceding just eight legs in progressing to the semi-finals.
The Australian number one was joined in the last four by Dobey, who landed a trio of ton-topping averages on his way to pocketing £5,000 in prize money.
The former Masters champion averaged 107 and 105 to see off Jermaine Wattimena and Mike De Decker respectively, having also dumped out world number one Luke Humphries in the last 16.
Nevertheless, the performance of the day was delivered by Gary Anderson, who produced an astronomical 123.83 average in his third round demolition of Andrew Gilding.
The two-time World Champion reeled off legs of 11, 12, 12, 13, 13 and 13 darts to cap off an inspired display, before succumbing in the last eight alongside De Decker, Ratajski and Swiss star Bellmont.
Ross Smith averaged 113.23 in his opening round victory against Maik Kuivenhoven, while Humphries – fresh from his World Matchplay heroics – averaged 103 and 106 before falling to Dobey.
Elsewhere, five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld also landed a hat-trick of 100+ averages in his run to the last 16, only to be denied by a superb Anderson in a battle of the darting veterans.
The 2024 PDC ProTour season continues with Players Championship 16 on Thursday, where coverage will be broadcast live through PDCTV and bookmakers’ websites worldwide.
2024 Players Championship 15
Wednesday July 31
Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
Last 16
Stefan Bellmont 6-4 Cameron Menzies
Damon Heta 6-3 Lee Evans
Wessel Nijman 6-2 Darren Beveridge
Gary Anderson 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Luke Littler 6-4 Rhys Griffin
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Alan Soutar
Chris Dobey 6-4 Luke Humphries
Mike De Decker 6-3 Danny Noppert
Quarter-Finals
Damon Heta 6-1 Stefan Bellmont
Wessel Nijman 6-5 Gary Anderson
Luke Littler 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Chris Dobey 6-1 Mike De Decker
Semi-Finals
Wessel Nijman 7-5 Damon Heta
Luke Littler 7-2 Chris Dobey
Final
Luke Littler 8-6 Wessel Nijman
—–ENDS—–
Image: Taylor Lanning / PDC
