Luke Littler has been eliminated from the Bahrain Masters after a comprehensive 6-2 quarter-final defeat to Gerwyn Price. The 19-year-old, who was crowned world champion for a second time earlier this month, struggled to match the level of the world number 12 throughout the contest.
Price, the 2021 world champion, broke Littler for a second time with a bullseye to open a 4-1 lead. He then missed a chance to seal victory with a third 100-plus checkout, hitting the wire on double 20 before returning to take out double 10 for an impressive win.
The Welshman has now beaten Littler at this tournament for the second consecutive year, having triumphed in last year's semi-final in Bahrain. He will face either defending champion Stephen Bunting or Michael van Gerwen in the last four.
Littler, who defeated Gian van Veen to secure his second world title at Alexandra Palace, had earlier eased past 71-year-old Paul Lim in the opening round. However, he had no answers against Price's clinical finishing. Price, in contrast, had already shown form in his opening match, beating Japan's Motomu Sakai 6-3.
