LEWIS WARNS LITTLER OF WORLD TITLE DEFENCE PRESSURE

By Phil Lanning

ADRIAN LEWIS has warned Luke Littler that defending a world title brings a completely different level of pressure.

‘Jackpot’ won back-to-back World crowns in 2011 and 2012 and reckons the teen sensation will feel the weight of expectation like never before.

Littler, 18, begins his defence of the title at the Ally Pally on Thursday night against tricky Latvian Darius Labanauskas. 

He told Online Darts: “Luke defending it — I think he’s in form.

“He’s got longevity in the formats with the high-scoring, high-finishing. That’s what it’s going to take. Someone will have to play their socks off to beat him.

“In my instance, I was playing rubbish going into my second one.

“I’d changed my darts, joined a new sponsor with Target, and I couldn’t get used to the darts. I was literally thinking, ‘I’m going to struggle here.’

“And Eric Bristow said on commentary, ‘He’s got no chance to win it,’ and I looked and thought… my mind changed.

“Ever since then, that’s what happened. If he hadn’t said it, I’d probably go on to the next round. It’s mad, really!”

Lewis also says he will not return to the PDC until he is ready to win again because he refuses to be labelled as a “fool” on his comeback.

The Stoke-on-Trent thrower stepped away from the PDC circuit in 2023 due to the stress of the game and to care for his ill wife Sarah.

The two-time world champion is now gradually working towards a return but insists he will only step back onto the big stage when he is fully prepared to compete at the highest level.

Lewis admits he is still far from his peak and has downplayed his chances of entering Q-School next year.

He said: “I’ve been playing half-decent in patches. I’ve been knocking in good averages — 116s, 110s — on a regular basis, not just once.

“But then I’m averaging 80-odd.

“I’ve been up and down. But I’m enjoying it again, and that’s the main thing. It’s all steps. And if I go back full-fledged into the PDC, my mind needs to be 100%.

“I don’t want to turn up like a fool. I don’t want to be a journeyman. If I turn up, I want to be there to win the tournaments. And at this moment, my mind isn’t 100%.”

“I’m probably 60–40 against [Q-school}.

“But I will be back. I promise you I’ll be back. I needed to step away — but I will be back. Just a bit of time, that’s all.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.