LITTLER FIRES BACK AT PIETRECZKO MIND-GAMES

LUKE LITTLER claims Ricardo Pietreczko’s mind-games fired him up to produce a ruthless surge into the quarter-finals of the Players Championship Finals.

‘The Nuke’ blasted past the German 10-6 with a superb 102.67 average and a dazzling 121 bull–treble seven–bull checkout in Minehead.

World No1 Littler revealed that Pietreckzo made a remark he felt was unnecessary at 5-5 that lit a fire inside him.

Littler then responded with extra intensity and showboating, insisting it was the only way to send a message back.

He said: “We’ve come back on at 5-5 and before the caller came on it was just me and him on the stage.

“He said, ‘I was only looking forward to getting one leg and now I’ve got five.’ I just said to myself, ‘Why say that?’

“Inside to myself I said, ‘You’re getting it, I’m gonna win this game’ – and that’s what I done.

“That’s why I brought out the showboating. It can’t be anything else but to try and get in your head.

“After he said that he was pretty happy that I beat him. I thought he would’ve been the same as he was on the Euro Tour, but he wasn’t – so fair play to him.”

Teen sensation Littler remains laser-focused on adding another major title to his rapidly growing collection.

He added: “I want to try and tick it off. Obviously I want to win one of every major.

“There is only three to go — this one, The Masters and the European Championship — but you can only focus on one tournament at a time.

“I will be up early tomorrow morning hopefully to produce some more good darts.

“People have to show up and perform their best — if not I will win nine times out of ten.”

Littler returns to action on Sunday afternoon and will face Chris Dobey in the last eight.

Image by Taylor Lanning.