Luke Littler's hopes of securing a third consecutive Belgian Darts Open title were dashed after he suffered a 5-6 defeat to Dutchman Niels Zonneveld in the last 16. The teenage world champion had been unbeaten in his previous 12 matches at the venue in Wieze.
Littler took an early 3-1 lead, with the first three legs going against the darts. However, Zonneveld fought back to lead 4-3, only to miss three match darts in the penultimate leg. Littler forced a decider with a 136 checkout.
In the deciding leg, Zonneveld held his nerve to complete a 147 checkout, ending Littler's campaign and his 12-match unbeaten run at the venue. The upset marks the first time Littler has been beaten in Wieze.
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