Importance Score: 5 / 100 🟠
Luke Littler Reacts to Berlin Crowd During Premier League Darts Defeat
Emerging darts sensation Luke Littler faced a setback in Berlin, succumbing to a defeat against Chris Dobey in the Premier League Darts competition. The world champion contender experienced an unusual performance during Thursday night’s match, encountering ironic cheers from the Berlin audience as he struggled against Dobey. This loss prevented Littler from securing a third consecutive nightly victory, with Dobey advancing to the semi-finals after a decisive 6-2 win.
Early Struggles for Littler
Throughout night nine of the Premier League Darts, Littler appeared unable to establish his usual rhythm. Dobey effectively capitalized on uncharacteristic errors from “The Nuke”. Early indications of an inconsistent performance surfaced in the third leg when Littler registered a score of just 26 with his visit to the board.
Crowd Interaction and Response
The Berlin crowd, sensing a rare vulnerability from the typically dominant darts player, responded to the low score with ironic cheers. Littler swiftly acknowledged the crowd’s reaction, gesturing for them to continue jeering, which, predictably, amplified the audience’s response.
Dobey Capitalizes on Littler’s Missed Doubles
Littler’s difficulties persisted throughout the match. Notably, the young player missed 11 darts at a double within the initial four legs alone. This provided Dobey the opportunity to establish a significant lead, reaching 5-1 at one point. Dobey ultimately concluded the match two legs later, eliminating Littler in the opening round of this Premier League night for only the third occasion this season.
Littler’s Prior Comments on Phil Taylor
This defeat follows recent remarks made by Littler suggesting that darts legend Phil Taylor would have faced greater challenges achieving his level of success in the contemporary, more competitive era of professional darts. During an appearance on the “Stick to Football” podcast with Gary Neville, Littler, the reigning world championship runner-up, stated, “Phil Taylor’s record is there to be broken, but it will be incredibly difficult.”
Comparing Eras in Darts
Littler elaborated on the intensity of modern darts competition: “He won the World Matchplay 16 times and two major titles 16 times – it’s going to take some doing to match that. The standard of competition is much higher now. While Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow competed in a strong era, I believe Phil would encounter more difficulty in today’s darts landscape.”
Respect for Taylor Despite Audacious Claim
Despite his confident assertion, Littler clarified that he has always idolized Phil Taylor, acknowledging the immense challenge of equaling Taylor’s career accomplishments. He added, “Phil Taylor was my idol growing up. If I dedicate myself to darts for a similar duration, perhaps I could surpass his records. He was 52 when he secured his 16th world title. If I choose to pursue it, it’s a possibility.”
Premier League Darts Continues in Manchester
Luke Littler is scheduled to resume his Premier League Darts campaign next week as the competition moves to Manchester.