LITTLER HITS EURO PERFECTION

LUKE LITTLER won on his European Tour debut after hitting a perfect leg and also being aggressively CONFRONTED by rival Ricardo Pietreczko.

The teen sensation took the Belgian Darts Open title with a 8-7 final win over former world champion Rob Cross in Wieze last night (Sunday).

Littler, 17, picked up the £30,000 top prize to put his earnings up to a cool £273,000 in just three months – his biggest pay-day as a PDC winner.

The Warrington wonderkid has now remarkably hit nine-darters on the way to debut wins in the World Series in Bahrain, ProTour in Wigan and Euros in Belgium.

Littler hit perfection in the 11th leg with a double 12 finish and also averaged 104. He also hit a record-breaking 30 maximum 180s in a single Euro event for the first time in history.

He said: “I was just glad to get over the line. I hit the nine and then lost the next two legs. I dug in but I just was happy to get over the line.

“It’s always good to be involved in a good game. Like Rob said I bring the best out of him. Whenever we have battles we always push ourselves.”

On the nine-darter finis. he said: “I think 144 is better than the 141. If the first goes in, then you know the next one should. Then the double 12, glad to hit one.

“I know the spotlight is on me at the minute because I’ve done so well.”

Littler also was quick to praise the sell-out crowd in Wieze, adding: “This is my first time in Belgium. I think there should be a Premier League of darts in Belgium. Come on!”

Cross, who lost with a 108 average, added: “He really pushes on. I missed a few chances and I can’t be too bitter about them.

“This young man has got such a bright future in front of him. The nine was impeccable, I thought it was amazing.”

Earlier Littler won his quarter-final after admitting he only practiced for 20 minutes due to watching Liverpool v Man City!

But the biggest drama happened in Littler’s 7-3 semi-final win over Pietreczko.

Littler was left bemused as ‘Pikachu’ angrily flew towards him at the end of their match and almost clashed heads.

Pietreczko appeared to give the Warrington wonderkid an earful of verbals.

Littler said on a darts Facebook group: “No idea what I did wrong, no idea what he said. He said something then don’t do it again.”

Pietreczko said on his Instragram story: “So I really appreciated the fact that you can play a game like that at such an age. But I hope his arrogance punishes him.”

The win means Littler is now in a provisional place for the World Matchplay place and confirmed a spot in the European Championship.

Earlier he beat Jermaine Wattimenta 6-2 in the quarters, blitzing the quick-throwing Dutch star with a 160 finish and almost broke the tournament average record with a 110.06 total, just short of the highest 110.65.

He said: “I only had 20 minutes practice because I was watching the football!

“Everything went well and when Jermaine put me under pressure, that’s when I hit my doubles.

“If you didn’t see it, I tried to slow myself down taking a drink and try not to get over-fast, compose myself and that’s what I’ve done.”