Luke Littler Wins UK Open Darts Title with Dominant Performance

Image credits: Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler has made history by winning the UK Open darts title for the first time, defeating James Wade 11-2 in a dominant performance. The 18-year-old, who became the youngest PDC world champion in January, averaged 101.50 and hit nine 180s to claim the £110,000 top prize. Wade, a three-time UK Open champion, struggled to keep up with Littler's pace, averaging a sub-par 88.06 and converting only 11.76% of his check-out opportunities.

Littler's victory was never in doubt, as he reeled off nine legs on the bounce from the start of the match, giving himself a sizable cushion. Wade, who had knocked out world number one Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals, was unable to recover from the early deficit. The match was effectively over after the first nine legs, with Littler cruising to victory. The final score was 11-2, with Littler winning the match with a 16-dart leg, finishing with double six.

The UK Open was Littler's third Premier televised title and 12th PDC title of his remarkable career. He closed the gap on Luke Humphries at the top of the PDC Order of Merit and is now looking to defend his Premier League crown over the coming months. Littler's latest TV title comes just over eight weeks after seeing off Michael van Gerwen to a maiden World Darts Championship victory. The teenager is hoping to make a strong run in the Premier League, making sure he's in the top four and making it to the O2 for the play-offs.

Match scores were as follows:

• Littler vs Wade: 11-2
• Littler vs Jonny Clayton: 11-6
• Wade vs Luke Humphries: won in the quarter-finals

Player statistics included:

• Littler's average: 101.50
• Wade's average: 88.06
• Littler's check-out conversion rate: not specified
• Wade's check-out conversion rate: 11.76%

The Premier League continues with Night Five in Brighton, where Littler will take on Chris Dobey in the top half of the draw. Other matches include Van Gerwen vs Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross vs Humphries, and Stephen Bunting vs Nathan Aspinall.

Littler's dominant performance has cemented his position as one of the top players in the world, with many predicting he will go on to win many more titles. Former world champion Mark Webster believes Littler will "keep winning titles" and is the "complete player". With his remarkable career already showing no signs of slowing down, Littler is surely eyeing up the No 1 spot come the end of the year. The future of darts looks bright with Littler leading the charge.

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