LITTLER PROUD AFTER PREMIER LEAGUE BREAKTHROUGH IN CARDIFF

LUKE LITTLER admits he was “proud” to finally break his duck in the Premier League after winning Night Five in Cardiff.

The Warrington whizkid shook off any early nerves to comfortably beat Josh Rock 6–4 in his opening match of the evening. 

World No.1 Littler averaged a whopping 111.05 and reeled in the big fish to defeat Gerwyn Price 6-3 in the semi-final. 

‘The Nuke’ fired in a brilliant 106.44 average and smashed in another stunning 170 checkout to triumph 6-4 against Jonny Clayton in the final. 

10-time major winner Littler climbed to third in the table and picked up the £10,000 top prize. 

Littler revealed he slowed his playing style in Wales after being unhappy with sitting seventh before his title run. 

He said: “It took a while to get settled in, as it did in the first year. But tonight, I’ve done really well and I’m proud of myself. 

“I said in my pre-match interview, every week I felt good, but I’ve just not shown it. Even practicing, I’ve been playing well. 

“But I’m just glad tonight I could take practice and bring it on to where that’s what I’ve done. 

“I had to [improve], especially here in Wales. I slowed it down a little bit tonight.  

“A little twist of the flight here and there, I just felt very confident. I slowed down practicing and it was going OK.  

“When the fans are on your back, you just sort of take your time and just measure the shots well. 

“I’ve not been happy in the practice room. I’ve just been wanting to practice and wanting to get on stage and just get over and done with. 

“The table looks good. It wasn’t looking good in seventh. But it just goes to show tonight. I think I had to focus on myself. 

“Even the first game against Josh, it wasn’t the best. I think he had over 103. I had a 96 and I came out victorious. But then against Gezzy and Johnny, I had to put it in.”

Clayton extended his lead at the top of the tree as he averaged 95.54 to see off Gian van Veen 6–4 in the quarter-final.  

He then produced another solid performance to overcome Luke Humphries by the same scoreline. 

Humphries was clinical on the outer ring, landing six of his ten doubles to dispatch Michael van Gerwen 6–1 in their opener. 

Price survived a match dart to edge out Stephen Bunting 6–5 in front of his home crowd.

Image by Taylor Lanning.