LITTLER HAILS LAWRIE AS NEXT BIG THREAT

LUKE LITTLER has tipped teenage sensation Mitchell Lawrie to “cause some damage” in darts.

World No1 Littler made the prediction after launching his own World Darts Championship defence in style at Ally Pally, brushing aside Darius Labanauskas 3-0 in round one.

Lawrie, just 15, has drawn comparisons to Littler’s own rapid rise, but ‘The Nuke’ believes the Scot is carving out his own path.

The Lakeside World Championship finalist has already caught the eye with his composure on the big stage, and Littler insists Lawrie’s mentality — as much as his talent — marks him out as one to watch.

He said: “He’s doing his thing. He’s playing well, he’s got a good family around him, and I’m glad Target have got him on board.

“He’s still so young — he’ll be itching to turn 16 and go on the Development Tour. He’s going to cause some damage.

“One thing I liked was when he said he’s Mitchell Lawrie, not Luke Littler.”

Littler averaged a stellar 101.54 and smashed in seven maximums to record his seventh win in a row at the North London Palace.

Nine-time major winner Littler has not lost a match on the PDC tour since the end of October.

He added: “It felt very special. This is my first ever PDC tournament, so it holds a lot of memories for me.

“A win’s a win and that’s the hardest game out of the way.

“Even when I woke up this morning, I was excited. I knew I was getting back on stage in front of the fans, so I didn’t put too much pressure on myself — and my performance shows.

“I wasn’t bothered if I made a statement or what. I just wanted to get past the first round. I’ll take all the positives.

“I wanted to have a bit of fun up there as I always do, but I didn’t think there was too much fun going on — it was all business.”

Littler is looking to become the first player since Gary Anderson in 2016 to successfully retain the Sid Waddell Trophy.

The Warrington whizkid could potentially face Gerwyn Price in the quarter-final, but he is refusing to look past his next opponent.

He continued: “I’m not putting any pressure on myself, but I’d obviously like to do it. Whether it’s Mario (Vandenbogaerde) or Davey (David Davies) next, I’ll be ready.

“I wasn’t going to read it, but I had a little read of who I could meet. But just take it game by game — see what happens.

“Everyone’s a rival — anything can happen. But obviously I think the biggest game would be Gezzy if we were to meet in that quarter-final.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.