Luke Littler Claims Players Championship Finals Title in Minehead
Luke Littler, 18, secured his first Players Championship Finals title on sunday, defeating fellow Englishman Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in Minehead. the victory adds another important trophy to Littler’s rapidly growing collection, coming just a week after his triumph at the Grand Slam of Darts and his ascent to the world number one ranking.
This win marks a pivotal moment in Littler’s burgeoning career,solidifying his position as a dominant force in professional darts. Having lost in last year’s final to Luke Humphries, Littler’s success demonstrates his continued growth and ability to perform under pressure.The Players Championship Finals victory is his sixth televised title, leaving only the European Championship and World Masters as major trophies remaining on his list of ambitions.
Aspinall mounted a strong challenge in the final, narrowing the gap to 9-8 after winning four of five legs. However, Littler maintained his composure, sealing the win with an 88 checkout. Littler averaged 103.33 during the match, compared to Aspinall’s 93.64, despite Aspinall hitting eight maximum 180s – one more than Littler.
“I am very proud to get this one ticked off the list – only two more to go now,” Littler told ITV after the match. He added,”It wasn’t easy to get to this final at all. [Aspinall] has been playing really well for a good few weeks now and I had to dig in at the end there. I am glad I got the job done.” Littler also noted a shift in his approach, stating, ”Earlier in my career, I was just trying to be myself but now I am starting to let out a bit of my emotion. I’m looking to the big one next month.”
Littler’s path to the final included a 10-5 victory over Chris Dobey in the last 16 and an 11-8 win against former world champion Gerwyn Price. Aspinall reached the final with an notable 11-2 win over Jermaine Wattimena.
“I don’t know how [Littler] has this energy,” Aspinall conceded.”He is astounding. What he has done for this game is incredible and I was happy to share that stage with him.”
