World darts champion Luke Littler has given his verdict on the fiery 'cheating' debate that now surrounds his next opponent at the Paddy Power PDC World Championship. The 18-year-old sensation will face Austria's Mensur Suljovic in the third round at Alexandra Palace, after Suljovic's previous victory sparked a furious row over his slow playing style.
The 'Cheat' Storm Erupts
Following his second-round win on Sunday, Suljovic was directly accused of "cheating" by his beaten opponent, Joe Cullen. Taking to social media, an angry Cullen fumed: "If that's darts, I don't want no part of it! The old guard will say it’s part of the game, but word it how you will - it’s CHEATING!" The accusation centred on Suljovic's notoriously deliberate and time-consuming approach to the oche, which critics claim games the system to unsettle rivals.
Littler, known for his rapid-fire 'Luke the Nuke' throwing style, now finds himself on a collision course with the methodical Austrian. The defending champion admitted he prefers a faster pace but acknowledged Suljovic is unlikely to change. "A lot of other players, including myself, we have fast throws," said Littler. "Obviously, you don’t want to be stood there for as long because you’re getting cold and you just want to get on with it. But Mensur, he’s not going to change for anyone. He’s not going to change for me."
Littler's Pragmatic Approach to the Showdown
Despite the clear contrast in tempo—Suljovic is the antithesis of speedsters like Ricky Evans, who can fire off a 180 in 2.1 seconds—Littler is taking a calm and focused approach. He revealed that Suljovic had messaged him after the draw, saying "See you in round three, good luck," which Littler reciprocated.
"This is going to be my first meeting with Mensur since I’ve been on the (PDC) Tour," the teenager noted. "We all know he flicks his flight quite a few times before he throws. But I didn’t see anything wrong (with his approach against Cullen). Joe felt what was up and spoke out about it, and obviously if Mensur tries anything to try and put me off or slow me down, then I’ve got to be ready for it."
Crucially, Littler stopped short of labelling Suljovic's tactics as cheating. "I just want to get on with the game, no matter who I play," he stated. "Obviously Joe’s felt like he’s slowed it down, but It’s not cheating."
An Opening Path in the Championship?
The drama unfolds as the draw in Littler's quarter appears to be widening. Following the earlier exit of No.8 seed Chris Dobey, two more major seeds—Gerwyn Price and the aggrieved Joe Cullen—crashed out on Sunday. This has led to speculation that the path to the latter stages may be clearing for the defending champion.
Littler, however, is refusing to get ahead of himself. "I guess you can say that, but as a player you can only face what’s in front of you," he said pragmatically. "Right now there’s a lot of talk about Mensur throwing slow. But I’ve just got to be ready for it." All eyes will now be on Alexandra Palace to see if Littler's explosive game can successfully navigate the deliberate 'snail trail' laid by Suljovic.
