PIETRECZKO BREAKS SILENCE ON LITTLER INCIDENT

By Phil Lanning

RICARDO PIETRECZKO still believes that Luke Littler still comes across as a “bit arrogant”.

The controversial German had a second run-in with the teen sensation at the recent Players Championship in Minehead.

Littler, 18, was irked by Pietreczko talking to him after a return to stage after an advert break.

‘The Nuke’ said at the time: “We came back on at 5-5 before the callers got on stage, it was just me and him.

“He said to me ‘I expected to get one leg and now I’ve got five legs’.

“In my head I was like ‘what are you on about’. I genuinely said to myself ‘you’re getting it, I’m going to win this now’ and I did.

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

But for the first time Pietreczko has spoken about the incident and responded, dismissing any kind of aggro. He said: “I think it was made bigger by the media than it actually was.

“We were relaxed with each other and had fun backstage. I think you could also see that I had a lot of fun on stage.

“I said: ‘I’m glad I survived the two sessions. I was just hoping to get one leg—now I’m standing here with five.’ It was meant as a joke, just the way I am. And Luke apparently took it differently.

“As far as Luke’s demeanour is concerned, I still think he comes across as a bit arrogant. But the way he plays, he can get away with it sometimes.”

Littler wanted to showboat to put the German back in his place and hit a wonderful 121 with bull, treble seven and bull.

Pietreczko added: “Of course you could have played that 121 differently, but I have to say: I celebrated it in that moment. He showed me again that he’s the boss out there.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.