LITTLER ONE WIN FROM WORLD NO1 AFTER EPIC COMEBACK
15/11/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Phil Lanning
LUKE LITTLER admitted he “gave himself hell” before a killer spell of SEVEN legs on the spin to dump Josh Rock.
The teen sensation was trailing at the halfway point but came back to win 16-12 to reach the Grand Slam semi-finals in Wolverhampton last night.
Littler, 18, is now just one win away from becoming World No1 and faces quiet Dutchman Danny Noppert in today’s last four clash.
After making it 12 successive wins in the Slam and still unbeaten in the event, Littler said: “I started the game throwing normally and found myself trailing.
“I said to myself ‘stop chasing the game’. I slowed my throw down. I was giving myself absolute hell. You don’t want to know what I was saying!
“I was 9-6 down and came back on, I won the next seven and the timing of the shots really helped. I’m still unbeaten here.
“I’m looking ahead to that No1 but I’ve got to get past Danny tomorrow afternoon.
“I’m in the semi, Luke (Humphries) is in the semi. But I know if I beat Danny I’m No1.”
Rock drew first blood in a pulsating clash with a blistering start to lead 3-2 at the first break, ending the opening session with six perfect darts.
It was turning into a proper slugfest of big scoring with ‘The Nuke’ fighting back to level the game up at 5-5 against a bang on-form Rocky.
Then came the first big moment. After missed chances from Littler, Rock broke throw and then extended his lead to 9-6 and take control.
But the teen sensation then seriously turned on the after-burners. He seemed to find an extra level of focus with relentless scoring and five successive clinical legs culminating with a bull finish and 96 in two darts to lead 11-9.
Littler didn’t take his foot off the gas, making it seven legs on the bounce and now just three away from victory. Finally Rock stopped the rot to make it 13-11.
The young duo traded blows but Littler sealed the deal with double 10.
DANNY NOPPERT breezed into his first Slam semi-final to face Littler with a 16-8 win over Lukas Wenig. He admitted he wanted to split the big guns Luke Humphries and Littler.
He said: “I want to be in between them, like a hot dog!
“They are both class players, Josh Rock as well, a young man coming up. We are all fighting to play our best games.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
