Littler exit was only a "bump" says legend Part

PLLITTLER16 - By Phil Lanning

LUKE LITTLER’S Grand Prix exit was only a little “bump”, according to ex-World Champ John Part.

The World No.1 was a big shock exit at the first hurdle of the World Grand Prix by Luke Woodhouse at the end of last month.

It came just over a week after his clean sweep of major titles in a year bid was ended by Jonny Clayton at the World Series in Amsterdam.

Legend Part, now a Sky Sports pundit, reckons that hunger is the key to success for The Nuke after his incredible haul of trophies.

He said: “I think a lot of performance and championship level performance is driven by desire.

“It has to wear down the more you achieve. Because you’ve done this, done that.

“It’s hard to feel the same urgency every single event you play.

“This is a major. People want to win this (Grand Prix), it’s a real feather in their cap.

“I can see where maybe he didn’t have the urgency, the focus that goes with it.

“But I think his performance was somewhere he thought of it, not very good at all. I’ll come back next time and play well is probably what I imagine he'd be thinking.

“And why wouldn’t he? He’s done this time after time in my mind.”

Littler next plays in the European Championship in Dortmund, which starts in a week on October 22, the only major title he’s never won.

Part believes he’ll be fired-up to win again and then for the World Championship.

He added: “Luke Littler, it’s not the end of the road for him at all. It’s not even really a bump.

“In terms of there’s a question of how he performs going forward. Timing-wise there’s a few months before the World Championship.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.