Luke Littler has experienced just about everything there is in darts over the past year – both on and off the stage – although his quest for a first world championship crown began with new emotional challenges at Alexandra Palace.
The teenage sensation headlined Saturday night's line-up, 12 months on from his remarkable run to the final on debut, with Littler – the pre-tournament favorite – opening his campaign with success over Suffolk's Ryan Meikle.
A 3-1 scoreline doesn't tell the full story of Littler's rich opening, where he briefly looked in danger of a shock early exit before dominating the closing stages to set up a third-round meeting with either European Championship winner Ritchie Edhouse or Ian White.
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Luke Littler scores 100 in the first set against Ryan Meikle at the World Darts Championship
Littler came within inches of firing the other end of the tournament with nine darts during a ridiculous fourth and final set, won in just 32 darts and with a stunning record average of 140.91, as the 17-year-old was reduced to tears and cut short an interview on stage after wins.
“That was probably the hardest game I've ever played, but you have to cross the line,” Littler said in his press conference. “I don't know where I got that last set from, but I had to fight until the end.
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Luke Littler hit eight perfect darts before missing double 12 for nine darts by a few millimetres!
“When I got on that stage, I was very nervous, but somehow I managed to find my game. I know I'm the favourite, but you have to focus on winning the first game, and I did that tonight.
“Like I said, it's the worst game I've ever played. I've never felt anything like it tonight.”
Immediately after leaving the stage, Littler went to see his family
Littler faced a long wait to return to the Alexandra Palace stage, his opening match coming on the seventh day and in the 12th session of this year's tournament, giving the fourth seed more time to consider his hopes of winning the Sid Waddell Trophy.
“That's probably the first and biggest time (the pressure) got to me,” Littler he told Sky Sports. “The Premier League, the first night against Luke Humphries, I was nervous then, but throughout the year – all the European tours, all the majors I've played – I've been fine.
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Luke Littler reflects on his early struggles and record-breaking finish at the opening World Darts Championship
“To get here, to get there, all right. As soon as (umpire) George Noble said 'game on,' I was like – I couldn't throw them.”
He added: “(The pressure) was a lot to handle, but like I said, the lead was fine. As soon as George said 'game on', I just couldn't do it. The first set, I shouldn't have won it myself, but I did , then after that second break you have to cross the line.
Littler has already won the Premier League and the 2024 Grand Slam of Darts and is expected to battle defending champion Luke Humphries for the World Cup, with both in the same half of the draw, although he is refusing to get carried away with the prospect.
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What a year it's been for Luke Littler, from his World Cup breakthrough as a 17-year-old to winning the Premier League title. We're looking at his incredible 2024
“I'm never going to say I'm going to win the World Cup,” Littler explained. “I know almost every player has that in them.
“I'm never going to come here, especially after a game like that, and say I'm just going to beat everybody. You just have to focus on the next game.
Part: 'New experiences' for the 'god of darts' Littler
Littler quickly became a household name in 2024, finishing second in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year and also the UK's most searched sportsman on Google, not forgetting 10 PDC titles in his first full year as a professional .
“I don't think anyone can understand how much pressure is on him,” former world champion John Part he told Sky Sports. “There may be a few people who have played the game who might understand it, but surely no one has ever faced it at his age.
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Luke Littler scores 100 in the first set against Ryan Meikle at the World Darts Championship
“I think the whole reality of what he did for the game starting at last year's World Cup finally kind of dawned on him after the win. It's great that it wasn't after the loss because it just wouldn't have seemed fair after everything he did for the game .
“He's a darts god in the eyes of a lot of people that they've been waiting for. That's so much for him. I think this was the first experience of his real professional career at the World Cup.”
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