Luke Littler aims to become world number one by the end of the Darts Grand Slam.
The teenage sensation’s meteoric rise has seen him rise from world championship runner-up in his qualifying debut to world champion in just two years.
Littler revolutionized darts, winning seven major titles by the age of 18, but one of the honors of being world number one has so far eluded him.
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Michael Smith and Chris Dobie had one of the most dramatic final battles, with Bully Boy finally winning the match after 18 missed darts.
That honor currently goes to Luke Humphries, but defending Grand Slam champion Littler hopes to knock his nemesis off his perch before the tournament ends.
“From now on, it’s all about the game,” said Littler, who completed a perfect group stage with a win over Darryl Gurney on Tuesday.
“Right now we are out of the group, but hopefully we can continue to defend our title.
“I know Luke (Humphries) is on the other side of the draw. I wasn’t paying too much attention to it, but I’m just going to slowly move forward. I know if I get to the final, I can be No. 1.”
Humphries leads Littler in the PDC Order of Merit, but with less than £75,000 in prize money separating them, ‘The Nuke’ only needs to reach the final in Wolverhampton to be number one.
That’s because the difference in prize money between the winner and runner-up is greater than the gap currently separating Littler and Humphries in the standings.
The format of the Grand Slam of Darts knockouts has been expanded, with Littler taking on Wessel Nyman in the last 16 (broadcast live on Sky Sports). A best of 19 leg contest will be held.
Can Littler overtake Luke Humphries to become world number one?
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be increased to 31 matches, and Littler, who could face Michael van Gerwen or Josh Lock, will be hoping to perform at his best.
“I hope I can perform better in the long distance format and I believe I will. I will practice more,” he added.
“I’ve always said I love getting on stage after the break. I know there are two important breaks, but I think this is where you’ll see the best darts.”
“We didn’t have a lot of good darts in the group stage, but I’m sure we can do better.”
Littler is eager to fight
Mark Webster of Sky Sports:
“Littler is hungry for the No. 1 spot in the world and is defending his title. Littler was very comfortable in the best-of-nine format. Now with the first-to-10 format doubled, I think Littler will outperform Wessel.”
“Littler knows how to fight back. He showed in World Match Play that he never panics. That’s going to put him in a good position. He’s got a lot going for him.”
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