Teenage Sensation Littler Claims Maiden Minehead Crown
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old world number one, has secured his first Players Championship Finals title with a hard-fought 11-8 victory over Nathan Aspinall in Minehead on Sunday. The win adds another major trophy to the teenager's rapidly growing collection, cementing his status at the pinnacle of professional darts.
A Commanding Path to Victory
Littler's route to the final was marked by dominant performances. He began his Sunday campaign with a commanding 10-5 win over Chris Dobey in the quarter-finals, producing a stunning match average of almost 108 and hitting nine maximums. His semi-final against Gerwyn Price was a tense affair. Littler built a 5-2 lead, but Price fought back, even closing the gap to 7-6 before the young champion regained control, finishing with a 108.48 average to book his spot in the final.
On the other side of the draw, Nathan Aspinall secured his place with a dominant 11-2 win over Jermaine Wattimena in the semi-finals, a match where he threw a spectacular 10-dart leg to take a 5-1 lead. Earlier, Aspinall had held off a spirited fightback from Josh Rock to close out a 10-8 quarter-final win.
The Final Showdown
The championship final saw Littler storm ahead to take a 5-2 lead, demonstrating the form that has made him the player to beat. Aspinall, however, refused to surrender and mounted a brilliant fightback. A stunning 127 checkout from Aspinall saw him close in on the world number one, trailing by just a single leg at 9-8 and setting up a nail-biting finale.
Under immense pressure, Littler remained remarkably composed. He held his nerve and sealed the title with a cool checkout of 88, sparking celebrations for his maiden Minehead crown. This victory comes hot on the heels of his success at last week’s Grand Slam of Darts, where he also overtook rival Luke Humphries to reclaim the world number one ranking.
In other news from the event, Gian van Veen successfully defended his World Youth Championship title with a 6-3 win over Beau Greaves.
