Luke Littler believes his sensational win at the inaugural SUPERBET Polish Darts Open will provide the impetus for his return to the Premier League, which begins on Thursday in Belfast.
Littler defied Jan van Veen’s stunning nine-darter to win the season’s opening European Tour title for the third year in a row on a magical day of action.
The world number one only recorded his first Premier League win of the season with a final victory over Luke Humphries in Antwerp, before losing 6-1 to third-night winner Johnny Clayton in Glasgow.
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Littler was unwell during Round 3 of the Premier League match against Johnny Clayton in Glasgow.
Littler, who sits outside the top four in the standings, will seek revenge on Creighton in a roadshow to Belfast on Thursday (live on Sky Sports) as he pursues the same form he showed in Krakow.
“It’s not the best start, but we still have 13 weeks to finish in the top four, so there’s plenty of time. This weekend gave us a lot of confidence heading into Belfast. We need to start getting better now and start playing better on Thursday,” Littler told Canal+ Sport.
Littler was intimidating from start to finish against Poland, defeating Mike Decker 6-1 on Saturday to start his title shot with an average of 113.84 points and a 100 percent checkout success rate.
The 19-year-old continued his charge with an above-average performance, securing a place in the semi-finals with a 6-2 win over Ross Smith and a 6-1 victory over Josh Locke.
Chris Dobie awaited Littler in the semi-finals, and the reigning two-time world champion once again put in a dominant performance, averaging nearly 106 for a 7-3 victory.
In the final, Littler overcame Van Veen’s nine darter to win his fifth European Tour title.
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Jan van Veen hits an incredible nine darter against Littler in the Polish Darts Open final
“I wish I had missed that double 12!” said world No. 3 Van Veen, who faces Josh Locke in a big match at the SSE Arena on Thursday.
“Obviously I’m very happy to hit the nine-darter, but I think everyone noticed that I wasn’t as good in the next couple of legs.
“I was really excited about my first nine-darter on stage, which probably cost me the final today.
“Fair play to Luke. Like he said, that’s what motivated him. That’s how he reads the game and that’s why he’s number one in the world.”
“Obviously I’m disappointed with this result. I’m a bit fed up now that we lost in the final, but that’s part of the game and I’m happy to be in the final again. It was a great weekend.”
What’s happening on the fourth night of the Premier League in Belfast?
Josh Lock headlines Premier League night four in Belfast
Lock will take center stage, with the Northern Irishman facing fellow Premier League newcomer Van Veen.
Littler faces Creighton, Stephen Bunting takes on Humphries, while Michael van Gerwen returns from his absence in Glasgow and aims to face Gerwyn Price in a highly anticipated quarter-final.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and the fight can be seen on Sky Sports every Thursday until May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
